FYI Forwarded from James Miller on the Amsat list: Polite Note: If you forward this to packet or satellite BBSs, please cut out the body = as indicated below. Do NOT send it out with all the Internet header and = footer jargon. And PLEASE use the BID. Thanks - James, Graham, Peter, Stacey. / ----------------------- o-o---- cut here = --------------------------------- o SB AMSAT @ WW $RUH961124 Oscar-13's Final Orbits [ Note: If you forward this in any way to the packet network, ] [ you may change the "WW" or the "AMSAT", but DO NOT alter or ] [ remove the BID $RUH961124 above. Helps prevent duplicates. ] Oscar-13's Final Orbits ----------------------- On perigee 6478/79, at around 1996 Nov 23 [Sat] 1140 utc Oscar-13's solar panel #3 ceased to function due to excessive heating. On perigee 6479/80 at around 1996 Nov 23 [Sat] 2009:30 utc panels = #1,2,4,6 also stopped working, leaving only panel #5. The transponders were = switched off by Graham VK5AGR immediately after his AOS at 1996 Nov 23 [Sat] 2315 = utc, orbit 6480 MA 99. Orbit 6480 continued on telemetry beacon only. AO-13 survived perigee 6481, 1996 Nov 24 [Sun] 0432 utc, perigee altitude = 107 km, monitored by insomniacs in Europe. The battery voltage was stable at 11.8 volts, much lower than the normal 14.5v. The on-board computer and related systems are regulated to 10.0v. VK5AGR monitored the remainder of orbit 6481, but one solar panel proved insufficient to sustain a basic system, and the beacon stopped = transmitting at 1996 Nov 24 [Sun] 0538:16 utc, orbit 6481, MA 34. Reset commands, = which would have left an unmodulated carrier, had no effect. On orbit 6482 in Europe, 1996 Nov 24 [Sun] 1300 utc onwards, neither of = the beacons was detected, and the Reset command was again ineffective. The command stations conclude that Oscar-13 is now defunct. Re-entry is predicted for 1996 Dec 05/06 approximately, though experience = with final orbits of decaying satellites indicates an enormous degree of uncertainty in these matters. November's telemetry is archived at: ftp://ftp.amsat.org/amsat/satinfo/ao13/telemetry/9611.zip (956kb) The final orbits are detailed therein: File From To Orbit MA - MA --------------------------------------------------- Q961123A.DAT 0358:25 - 1118:02 6478 25 - 243 Q961123 .DAT 1149:28 - 1334:03 6479 4 - 56 Q961123B.DAT 2301:09 - 2330:36 6480 86 - 101 Q961123F.DAT 2217:12 - 0418:22 6480 6 - 247 Q961124 .DAT 0432:22 - 0440:04 6481 0 - 4 Q961124J.DAT 0456:28 - 0459:20 6481 12 - 14 T961124 .DAT 0505:05 - 0538:16 6481 17 - 34 --------------------------------------------------- Much else connected with AO-13's re-entry can be studied from ftp://ftp.amsat.org/amsat/satinfo/ao13/decaykep.zip (160kb) which includes temperature plots, keplerian elements to re-entry, and other useful information. The Oscar-13 command stations are/were: Peter DB2OS Graham VK5AGR Ian ZL1AOX James G3RUH Stacey W4SM They may be reached via Internet (callsign@amsat.org) and KO-23. Please remember to state a return address clearly. Notes prepared by James R. Miller G3RUH 1996 Nov 24 [Sun] 1545 utc /EX / ----------------------- o-o--- cut here ------------------------- o -- =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D James R Miller E-mail: g3ruh@amsat.org Cambridge England Stardate: 1996 Nov 24 [Sun] 1545 = utc =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D