New Zenit upper stage - probable fast flasher

From: Ted Molczan (molczan@rogers.com)
Date: Thu Jun 10 2004 - 11:54:42 EDT

  • Next message: Tristan Cools: "Re: New Zenit upper stage - probable fast flasher"

    The newly launched Zenit-2 upper stage rocket is likely to be a bright, fast
    flasher:
    
    Cosmos 2408 r   10.4  3.9  0.0  3.9 v
    1 28353U 04021B   04162.33857259  .00571196  00000-0  28640 0 0    59
    2 28353  71.0036 326.5130 0005055 192.3130 167.7816 14.13957846    42
    
    In the northern hemisphere, the object will enter morning visibility over the
    next couple of weeks.
    
    In the southern hemisphere, it currently passes in early evening.
    
    I have appended a history of the earliest reported flash period, in seconds, of
    all past Zenit-2 upper stages, compiled from PPAS reports. Most of those in
    short-lived orbits apparently decayed before they could be observed.
    
    The geomagnetic field causes the objects to cease rotating within a few years of
    launch.
    
    Ted Molczan
    
    
    85097B 16182 3.8
    86056B 16884 ???  (decayed from orbit after 5 days)
    87016B 17524 ???  (decayed from orbit after 8 days)
    87027B 17590 ???
    87041B 17974 1.08
    87065B 18260 ???  (decayed from orbit after 2 days)
    87071B 18319 ???  (decayed from orbit after 5 days)
    88039B 19120 1.215
    88102B 19650 0.7
    90046B 20625 0.54
    92076B 22220 steady
    92093B 22285 0.29
    93016B 22566 0.26
    93059B 22803 0.34
    94023B 23088 0.36
    94053B 23219 ???  (decayed from orbit after 19 days)
    94074B 23343 1.05
    94077B 23405 0.39
    95058B 23705 0.404
    96051B 24298 0.3
    98043G 25400 7.1
    98045B 25407 2.71
    99039B 25861 0.50
    00006B 26070 0.56
    00056B 26539 0.38  (decayed from orbit after 16 days)
    01056F 27006 0.627
    
    
    
    
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