Search elements for 97 68A (Titan IV Payload)

Mike McCants (mikem@fc.net)
Sun, 9 Nov 1997 19:38:40 -0600 (CST)

I have derived the following elements for 97 68A, the Titan IV payload:

1 25034U 97068A   97312.17944778  .00000000  00000-0  00000+0 0    05
2 25034  64.5000 336.1550 7173000 270.9200  35.1900  2.01700000    00

This elset is based on a number of observations from Nov. 8
about 05:00UT until Nov. 8 about 06:00UT.

The Centaur rocket should be in a very similar orbit.

The inclination appears to be about 1 degree larger than the
nominal 63.5.

The mean motion, eccentricity, and argument of perigee are rather
ill-determined.

The payload could be as much as 15 minutes off of this elset
this evening (Sunday evening) and the uncertainty should increase
by 5 or 10 minutes every day.

There is, of course, a high likelihood that the payload might
perform orbit correction maneuvers.

It was cloudy here last night and tonight (and likely tomorrow
night as well).

Mike McCants