10 Jun Delta/Globalstar Prelaunch Elset

Ron Lee (ronlee@pcisys.net)
Wed, 09 Jun 1999 11:02:06 -0600

Globalstar/Delta, 10 Jun 99, 13:48 UT
1 99999P 99 0xx A 99161.62291667  .00000500  00000-0  00000-0 0    17
2 99999  51.9950   8.5530 0003080 145.3550 122.9670 12.74000000    13

Note the "P" which indicates a Prelaunch Elset...in this case based upon
ILAM data from this site:

http://www.isi-consulting.com/tech.html     

The satellite will appear about 75 seconds LATE using this elset so allow
about 3 minutes EARLY and 4 minutes LATE (3 minute launch window).  To ensure
I am not getting confused here, I show the satellite at the U1/U2 point at
about 14:55:45 UT when it really should not be there until 14:57 UT.

The  second stage circularization burn will occur from 3712-3739 seconds AFTER
liftoff.  This may be visible from southern Australia.  The satellite is in
darkness at the time.

Subsequent burns occur over North America at daytime so they will not be
visible.

Two satellites separate at 1h 09m after launch;  the other two at 1h 13m 02s.

See the ISI site for more details.  Also see this site for schematics of the
launch sequence:  

http://www.flatoday.com:80/space/explore/uselv/delta/d270/index.htm

The following site is great to get up to the minute info on launch status:

http://www.flatoday.com/space/today/index.htm

If this slips to Friday, I will not be available to update the elset.
However,
all that should be necessary is to adjust the time for a given
azimuth/elevation
unless the launch profile changes.  Most likely, events will occur about 16
minutes earlier.

A note to the discussion about the 8th character.  Note that I use ILAM data
to generate prelaunch elsets and sometimes previous launches (eg Iridium).
Some folks use more advanced techniques to generate prelaunch elsets.  So
conceivably you could have as many as three prelaunch designators, or two, or
just one to make it simpler.

Ron Lee