Re: GFO/ORBCOMM Obs, 13 Feb 98
Alan Pickup (alan@wingar.demon.co.uk)
Sat, 14 Feb 1998 09:35:04 +0000
In message <9802138874.AA887419823@occgate.orbcomm.com>,
rosenberg.eric@orbcomm.com writes
> I asked my colleagues in Orbcomm's Flight Dynamics Group what objects
> were really there (noting Ron's 'Orbcomm deb?') note and the response
> was that there are five (5) objects:
>
> GFO
> Orbcomm sat G1 (FM3)
> Orbcomm sat G2 (FM4)
> 3rd stage of Taurus rocket.
> DPAF (adapter between GFO and Orbcomm)
>
> There is no Orbcomm debris!
Many thanks for the info, Eric. I am to blame the "Orbcomm deb?" name
since it's what I chose for this object in my select.tle file which Ron
quoted. This file is available via the URL in my .sig and is also
mirrored as
ftp://ftp.satellite.eu.org/pub/sat/mirrors/pickup/select.tle
The "?" implied that I was uncertain as to the identity and the name was
only temporary until I was advised/persuaded/decided otherwise. However,
as Philip Chien has pointed out, anything additional in orbit does
indeed qualify as "debris". We can then argue as to whether it's "vulgar
name" should be "Orbcomm deb", "GFO/Orbcomm deb", "GFO/Orbcomm Taurus
deb", "Taurus deb", ...etc. If length of name were not an issue (but it
is) I would have preferred "GFO/Orbcomm Taurus deb" since I like to
identify both the payload and the rocket. However, USSPACECOM have
subsequently promulgated this as "TAURUS DEB" and, with your additional
info, I have changed the name in my database to "Taurus deb (DPAF)".
Alan
--
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