Decay watc: September 17
Alan Pickup (alan@wingar.demon.co.uk)
Fri, 17 Sep 1999 20:58:13 +0100
I have posted an updated prediction and elsets for the decay of #22878,
the GPS2-23 Delta rocket, to my Decay Watch page at
http://www.wingar.demon.co.uk/satevo/dkwatch/
The decay has moved earlier again, possibly as a result of recently
increased geomagnetic activity. I now show re-entry at September 18
01:44 UTC +-4h near a northbound crossing of the equator over Columbia
on a track taking it from N Peru to E Venezuela. The orbit continues
across the Atlantic to N Morocco (02:01 UTC) and over the Mediterranean
to Crete (02:05), Beirut (02:09), the Gulf (02:13), S India (02:20),
Jakarta, Indonesia (02:29). It crosses Australia from the NW (02:35) to
Port Macquarie (02:42) and clips the N Cape of New zealand at 02:47.
SpaceCom's latest decay warning puts decay just a bit further along over
the SW Pacific. The path slants NE across the Pacific to landfall again
at Panama (03:14).
Alan
--
Alan Pickup | COSPAR 2707: 55d53m48.7s N 3d11m51.2s W 156m asl
Edinburgh | Tel: +44 (0)131 477 9144 Fax: +44 (0)870 0520750
Scotland | SatEvo page: http://www.wingar.demon.co.uk/satevo/