Re: Rocket debris - was Re: GFO/ORBCOMM Obs, 13 Feb 98
Sean Sullivan (tssulliv@unix.amherst.edu)
Sat, 14 Feb 1998 01:19:20 -0500 (EST)
The objects that Phil Chien mentioned, since they are in GTO
(geosynchronous transfer orbit), would be associated with the Ariane
stage, *not* with the Galaxy 7 payload (which is now in an orbit with
a substantially higher perigee :) And since the two debris objects are
newly cataloged, Phil's suggestion is that they were recently knocked
loose from the Ariane stage.
Since the Galaxy 7 payload was moved into geosynch orbit years ago, and
these objects are in the transfer orbit, there is no relationship between
them. Thus, the payload couldn't care less about an event that knocked
some stuff loose from its spent stage in GTO. It *should* still be working.
-- Sean Sullivan