Decay watch: Mars Global Surveyor Delta 2 rocket
Alan Pickup (alan@wingar.demon.co.uk)
Sat, 20 Jun 1998 12:22:55 +0100
The Delta 2 rocket which launched the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft on
1996 November 7 is about to decay.
The latest elset from OIG is:
MGS Delta 2 r 5.9 2.4 0.0 5.6 d 374 x 143 km
1 24649U 96062B 98171.31615948 .07062005 -11513-4 64171-3 0 2352
2 24649 25.2261 10.8217 0173744 64.2289 297.5925 16.05795561 71698
I predict decay for June 21.9 (21h UTC +-8h). Unfortunately, observation
circumstances are poor for most SeeSaters: it has has an inclination of
only 25 degrees; enters eclipse at about 3 deg S latitude in the local
evening; and leaves eclipse around 10 deg S in the morning sky.
SatEvo-predicted elsets:
MGS Delta 2 r 5.9 2.4 0.0 5.6 d 358 x 142 km
1 24649U 96062B 98171.50235582 .07724156 10052-1 63914-3 0 92353
2 24649 25.2257 9.3564 0162927 66.7331 294.9739 16.08700345 71724
MGS Delta 2 r 5.9 2.4 0.0 5.6 d 337 x 142 km
1 24649U 96062B 98171.75009911 .08588837 14840-1 64461-3 0 92357
2 24649 25.2250 7.3972 0147310 70.0811 291.5000 16.12728688 71761
MGS Delta 2 r 5.9 2.4 0.0 5.6 d 306 x 141 km
1 24649U 96062B 98172.05883566 .10363081 25032-1 65857-3 0 92357
2 24649 25.2240 4.9386 0125150 74.2825 287.0944 16.18532490 71814
MGS Delta 2 r 5.9 2.4 0.0 5.6 d 277 x 140 km
1 24649U 96062B 98172.30494334 .12785233 44808-1 66492-3 0 92353
2 24649 25.2232 2.9628 0104160 77.6591 283.5049 16.24169891 71856
MGS Delta 2 r 5.9 2.4 0.0 5.6 d 240 x 138 km
1 24649U 96062B 98172.55007580 .17036645 12087+0 65295-3 0 92356
2 24649 25.2220 0.9769 0077814 81.0529 279.8269 16.31363844 71890
MGS Delta 2 r 5.9 2.4 0.0 5.6 d 178 x 131 km
1 24649U 96062B 98172.79380518 .52140160 18835+1 79316-3 0 92351
2 24649 25.2201 358.9766 0035884 84.4714 275.9376 16.44447200 71930
MGS Delta 2 r 5.9 2.4 0.0 5.6 d 124 x 112 km
1 24649U 96062B 98172.85424798 3.85602006 50000+2 12050-2 0 92350
2 24649 25.2191 358.4716 0009856 85.3344 274.7782 16.58148308 71948
Alan
--
Alan Pickup | COSPAR site 2707: 55d53m48.7s N 3d11m51.2s W 156m asl
Edinburgh | Home: alan@wingar.demon.co.uk +44 (0)131 477 9144
Scotland | SatEvo satellite page: http://www.wingar.demon.co.uk/satevo/