Re: X-37B OTV 1-1 no-show confirmed; manoeuvre probable

From: William Thompson (catbrusher@yahoo.com)
Date: Sat Oct 09 2010 - 13:32:53 UTC

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    Could the X-37B have landed?  Heavensat shows that after its last 
    recorded observation its groundtrack took it close to Vandenberg AFB,
    Edwards AFB and the Cape.
    
    Some months ago Henry Hillbrath, a retired rocket engineer, told
    me that the X-37B's orbital lifetime would be limited to six months,
    assuming that it used hydrogen peroxide for its maneuvering
    engine.  A return now would be consistent with that estimate.
    
    --Bill Thompson
    
    
    
    ----- Original Message ----
    > From: Ted Molczan <ssl3molcz@rogers.com>
    > To: SeeSat-L@satobs.org
    > Sent: Sat, October 9, 2010 8:47:08 AM
    > Subject: X-37B OTV 1-1 no-show confirmed; manoeuvre probable
    > 
    > 10015A / 36514 was a no-show for Brad Young, on 2010 Oct 07, near 11:50 UTC, on 
    >what he described
    > as, "a fair pass":
    > 
    > http://satobs.org/seesat/Oct-2010/0064.html
    > 
    > Culmination was 23 deg; predicted magnitude was 4; phase angle was reasonable.
    > 
    > It was a no-show for me this morning, Oct 09, at 10:29:11 UTC, on a pass 
    >similar to Brad's.
    > 
    > These are my latest elements of the last known orbit.
    > 
    > X-37B OTV 1-1                                            433 X 444 km
    > 1 36514U 10015A  10278.73792454  .00000561  00000-0  12188-4 0    04
    > 2 36514  39.9880  62.1228 0007830 334.9144  25.1283 15.43395766    05
    > Arc 20101001.77-1005.78 WRMS resid 0.025 totl 0.004 xtrk
    > 
    > The last reported observation was by Greg Roberts, on Oct 05, near 18:48 UTC, 
    >so the time of the
    > apparent manoeuvre can be narrowed to about a 1.7 day period, which should help 
    >in planning a
    > search. Unfortunately, I have run out of analysis time for now, and an unlikely 
    >to be available
    > until after 23 h UTC.
    > 
    > Ted Molczan
    > 
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    > 
    
    
          
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