======================================================================== Visual Satellite Observing F A Q Chapter-10 What Are Some Of The Satellites That Can Be Seen? ======================================================================== ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + This FAQ chapter is "under construction". Some of the + + sections may be unwritten as yet. Other sections may + + contain out-of-date, unreviewed, or "starter" material. + + Yet other sections may be works in progress, partially + + written and reviewed. + ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + In this chapter, the following sections are considered + + to be completed (written and reviewed): + + None + ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ---- 10.0 What Are Some Of The Satellites That Can Be Seen? ---- 10.1 The Ubiquitous Cosmos The Cosmos family is a big one, mainly because the Soviet Union (now Russia) uses the name "Cosmos" for the greater part of the satellites it launches. Details of the Cosmos satellites and their launch vehicles are scarce. Most of the time, the type of satellite can only be determined by looking at the orbit. The height of a satellite above the earth and its orbital inclination (angle that the orbit makes with the Earth's equatorial plane) reveals much about the type of satellite. Most of the Russian satellites were tested within the Cosmos series of satellites. Once the test phase was over, the next satellites in the program got their proper name, such as Meteor and Soyuz. Also, when a launch in another program went wrong, the Soviets had the habit of giving that satellite a Cosmos number rather than the next in the program. This was done with Luna, Venera, and the Mars probes crafts. Military observation and spy satellites are also given Cosmos numbers, although in recent years, the names of the different programs have become known (such as Yantar, Tselina, Parus, and Tsikada). Several Cosmos satellites were launched in groups, such as the Cosmos J-flashers and G-objects. ---- 10.1.1 Zenit Since 1985, when the first Zenit rocket was launched, a total of 15 Zenits have reached Earth orbit. On May 20, 1997, the first stage of a Zenit malfunctioned 48 seconds after lift-off, and it crashed several kilometers from the launch pad. The Zenit is primarily used to launch ELINT (electronic intelligence) spy satellites to a 71 degree inclination orbit at 850 kilometer height. The Zenit and Zenit-2 second stages that reach orbit are cylinders 3.9 meters in diameter and 10.41 meters long. Here is the list of Zenit rockets (B objects) and the Cosmos payloads they launched, through the end of 1996: COSPAR ID NORAD Payload Name 1985- 97 B 16185 Cosmos 1697 1987- 27 B 17590 Cosmos 1833 1987- 41 B 17974 Cosmos 1844 1988- 39 B 18865 Cosmos 1943 1988-102 B 19650 Cosmos 1980 1990- 46 B 20625 Cosmos 2082 1992- 76 B 22220 Cosmos 2219 1992- 93 B 22285 Cosmos 2227 1993- 16 B 22566 Cosmos 2237 1993- 59 B 22803 Cosmos 2263 1994- 23 B 23088 Cosmos 2278 1994- 74 B 23343 Resurs-01 1 1994- 77 B 23405 Cosmos 2294 1995- 58 B 23705 Cosmos 2322 1996- 51 B 24298 Cosmos 2333 Notes: 1. The 1992- 93 B Zenit rocket disintegrated the day after launch, creating more than 200 pieces of debris. 2. The 1993- 16 B Zenit rocket disintegrated within two days after launch, creating about 30 pieces of debris. 3. 1994- 74 B is up to now the only Zenit launched into a polar orbit of 97 degrees inclination at 650 kilometers. After launch Zenit rocket bodies normally start flashing with a period of less than one second. They are among the most spectacular flashers, as they are easily visible to the naked eye with +1.5 magnitude. These objects are ideal observation targets for new satellite watchers. 1990- 46 B is the most observed satellite by members of SeeSat-L, with more than 800 flash observations made to date. ---- 10.1.2 Cosmos J-flashers This Cosmos family is named after the rocket that launched Cosmos satellites in groups of eight. The satellites get the COSPAR identification with the letters A through H, and the rocket is designated with the letter J. (Letters I and O are not used by COSPAR to avoid confusion with the numerals 1 and 0.) Here is a list of the Cosmos J-flashers: COSPAR ID NORAD Launched Cosmos 1973- 69 J 06853 588 - 595 1976-118 J 09598 871 - 878 1978-109 J 11136 1051 - 1058 1881-116 J 12983 1320 - 1327 1982- 40 J 13168 1357 - 1364 1983- 69 J 14179 1473 - 1480 1984- 52 J 15006 1559 - 1566 1985- 23 J 15625 1635 - 1642 1986- 02 J 16457 1716 - 1723 1986- 42 J 16766 1748 - 1755 1986- 92 J 17146 1794 - 1801 1987- 51 J 18121 1852 - 1859 1988- 16 J 18945 1924 - 1931 1989- 25 J 19910 2008 - 2015 1990- 29 J 20557 2064 - 2071 1991- 09 J 21108 2125 - 2132 1992- 30 J 21984 2187 - 2194 The eight satellites of each launch are military communication satellites. They are spheroids, about 1 meter long and about 0.8 meter in diameter with a mass of 40 kilograms. The orbit has an inclination of 74 degrees and a height of around 1470 kilometers. The rocket is a cylinder, 7.4 meter long and 2.4 meter in diameter, with a mass of 2200 kilograms. In recent years, no satellites were launched in this program, so it probably has been ended. The J rockets were famous flashers at one time. Now they all have long periods of 40 to 80 seconds or are (almost) steady. The J-flashers are observed by members of the SeeSat-L mailing list on a regular basis, because several of these rockets have shown spectacular accelerations of their periods. In just a few weeks, the period can drop from more than 100 seconds to about 20 seconds, and sometimes even below 10 seconds. Then the gradual increase of the period starts over again, and in about a year, it is again longer than 1 minute or even steady. The rockets are visible in binoculars at magnitude +4 to +7. ---- 10.1.3 Cosmos G-flashers Some groups of Cosmos satellites were launched six at a time. The payloads were given the COSPAR identification with letters A through F, with the rocket designated by the letter G. The rocket used for these launches is a Tsyklon. Most of these rockets do not flash, with the exception of the following: COSPAR ID NORAD Launched Cosmos Flash Period 1985- 94 G 16144 1690 - 1965 30 sec 1987- 74 G 18340 1875 - 1880 3.3 sec The orbit has an inclination of 82.6 degrees and a height of around 1400 kilometers for the payloads. The rocket is in a slightly eccentric orbit, at a height varying between 1400 and 1470 kilometers. The G-flashers are more difficult to observe than the J-flashers, as their magnitude is only between +6 and +8. ---- 10.1.4 Other ---- 10.2 Weatherbirds: NOAA, DMSP, Midas, Meteor ---- 10.3 Spysats: Lacrosse, NOSS and other "USA" birds ---- 10.4 Research Sats: UARS, HST, SeaSat, OAO Pageos (5994/1963-14DA) One of the few large remaining fragments of the Pageos balloon launched in 1963. Largely susceptible to solar radiation pressure this fragment makes for an interesting geodetic target. It is in an elliptical orbit of around 960 x 6600 km at 85 degrees, where it can be seen between mag. +4 and +6. Note that this fragment is wrongly catalogued by USSPACECOM as one of the Westford Needles. OAO 2 (3597/1968-110A) Launched in December 1968, on Atlas/Centaur 16 to carry out ultra-violet astronomical observations, like the other two satellites in this series, it appears around mag. +3 to +4, with glints rising above mag. 0, possibly due to sunlight catching the mirrors used in the telescopes. The Centaur stage of the Atlas/Centaur vehicle used to launch this satellite is also visible (3598), around mag. +3. In a 750 km orbit at 35 degrees. OAO 3 R/B (6155/1972-65B) This is the Centaur stage of the launch vehicle used for OAO 3, launched August 1972 from Cape Canaveral. It can typically be seen around mag. +3, though is somewhat unpredictable. In a 660 x 730 km orbit at 35 degrees. IRAS (13777/1983-4A) The Infra-Red Astronomical satellite was launched in 1983 from Vandenberg Air Force Base on a Delta rocket. It carried out a full sky infra-red survey, locating material (suspect planetary systems) around several stars (such as Beta Pictoris). It can be seen periodically, around mag. +5 to +2, though recently reported to be varying with a period around 37 seconds. In a 890 km orbit at 99 degrees. Landsat 5 (14780/1984-21A) This land resources satellite was launched into in a polar orbit at 98 degrees, 690 km up, on a Delta launcher from Vandenberg Air Force Base on 1st March, 1984. A 2000kg, of length 4m and diameter 2m, it can be seen around mag. +4. UoSat 2 (14781/1984-21B) This experimental satellite was piggy-backed into space along with Landsat 5 on the same Delta launcher, into a similar orbit. It was created at the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Surrey, England, carrying out amongst others, near Earth studies such as magnetospherics and the relaying of amateur radio data. In a 660 km orbit at 98 degrees. Mir (16609/1986-17A) The Russian Mir space station consists of two Kvant observatory/physics modules, the Kristall industrial processing module, and the Priroda remote sensing module, along with the Mir vehicle itself, which was launched on a D-1 rocket from Tyuratam on 19 February 1986, entering a 51.6 degree orbit around some 390 km to 400 km in altitude. It thus appears very bright -- easily magnitude 0. At times it is possible to see Progress cargo vehicles and Soyuz manned vehicles in attendance bringing supplies and fresh crew. Several shuttle flights during 1996, 1997, and 1998 have or will rendevous with the station. Always remember to allow some leeway in time for Mir; it is reboosted 2-3 times per year, in order to sustain its (low) orbit. Spot 1 R/B (16615/1986-19C) This is the Viking final stage of the Ariane rocket used to launch the French Spot 1 Earth resources satellite and the Viking magnetospherical studies satellite. It can be seen around mag. +3 to +6 in a polar orbit 760 km high at 98 degrees. Currently reported to be tumbling with a flash period of 1.3 seconds. EGP (16908/1986-61A) This is a laser/visual geodetic satellite launched 12th August 1986, into a 50 degree orbit onboard a H-1 launcher from the Tanegashima Space Centre, Japan. Also known as Ajisai, it is a 2.2m diameter ball covered with mirrors and corner-cube reflectors which produce a complex flash pattern (period 1.75 seconds with sub-flashes having periods of the order of 0.2 seconds) around mag. +3 - this needs dark skies to be seen best. Its high 1500 km high orbit means it can be seen on passes late into the night in a 50 degree inclination orbit. Intercosmos 24 (20261/1989-80C) A Russian satellite studying the magnetosphere and radio propagation, launched from Plesetsk, on a SL-14 rocket, on 28th September, 1989. In a 83 degree orbit at 500 x 2450 km. COBE (20322/1989-89A) The Cosmic Background Explorer, recently at the centre of many news stories, due to its detection of the non-uniformity of the cosmic microwave background; essentially evidence for 'ripples' in the 'echo' of the big bang, possibly the seeds of the galaxies we can see today. COBE was launched on a Delta rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base on 18th November, 1989, into a 99 degree polar orbit at 880 km. It can be seen as a fairly bright target - between mag. +1 and +3. ERS 1 R/B (21610/1991-50F) The Ariane 40 rocket booster used to launch the European Remote Sensing satellite, from Kourou, French Guiana, on 17th July, 1991. Currently in a 770km, 98 degree orbit. UARS (21701/1991-63B) The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite placed into a 57 degree, 570km orbit on 12th September, 1991 during the STS-48 shuttle mission, from the Discovery. Part of it's mission has involved mapping the global distribution of ozone in the upper atmosphere. TOPEX (22076/1992-52A) A satellite which is carrying out radar altimetry above the world's oceans. In a fairly high 1330 km orbit at 66 degrees. ERS 2 (23560/1995-21A) The second European Remote Sensing satellite, launched from Kourou, French Guiana, on 21th April, 1995. Currently in a 770 km, 98 degree orbit. ERS 2 R/B (23561/1995-21B) The Ariane 40 rocket booster used to launch the second European Remote Sensing satellite, from Kourou, French Guiana, on 21th April, 1995. Currently in a 770km, 98 degree orbit. Flashing with a period of about 45 seconds ? ---- 10.5 Orbiting Space Museum: Vanguard and Explorer ======================================================================== This FAQ was written by members of the SeeSat-L mailing list, which is devoted to visual satellite observation. Members of this group also maintain a World Wide Web site. The home page can be found at the URL: http://www.satobs.org/ The information on the VSOHP web site is much more dynamic than that found in this FAQ. For example, the VSOHP site contains current satellite visibility and decay predictions, as well as information about current and upcoming Space Shuttle missions and Mir dockings. The VSOHP site also contains many images, equations, and data/program files that could not be included in this FAQ while maintaining its plain text form. This FAQ and the VSOHP web site are maintained asynchronously, but an effort is made to synchronize information contents as much as possible. The material in this FAQ chapter was last updated in February 1998. ========================================================================