Decay watch: 2000 Feb 3

From: Alan Pickup (alan@wingar.demon.co.uk)
Date: Thu Feb 03 2000 - 01:40:13 PST

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    #26068 = 00- 05 B = Progress M1-1 Soyuz r
    
    I think that this decayed at Feb 2 22:13 UTC +-40m near 5.4 N, 131.9 E.
    SpaceCom estimates Feb 2 22:17 +-2h near 6.9 N, 133.1 E.
    
    The final elset...
    PrgM1-1 Soyuz r  6.0  3.0  0.0  5.0 d   15       150 x 142 km
    1 26068U 00005B   00033.80364115  .15648193  12655-4  27013-3 0   112
    2 26068  51.6224 234.0160 0005759  61.6978 298.5011 16.47552126   222
    
    ... appeared only after this had decayed and is the only one with an
    epoch during the final 14 hours of this object's life. This may be
    further evidence that SpaceCom is censoring the release of near-decay
    elsets. In fact, this kept very close to the SatEvo predictions I had
    posted earlier in the day. The final elset showed it running only 5
    seconds early on the prediction I had made six hours earlier, bringing
    the decay only slightly earlier to the vicinity of a northbound equator
    crossing over Indonesia. SpaceCom's final notice reports an almost
    identical conclusion. SatEvo does not give me a predicted elset for that 
    node, but the one before is:
    PrgM1-1 Soyuz r  6.0  3.0  0.0  5.0 d   15       137 x 132 km
    1 26068U 00005B   00033.86418961  .44477333  23798+1  36836-3 0 90113
    2 26068  51.6213 233.6689 0004492  61.9570 298.0884 16.51837814   234
    Given SpaceCom's decay time/uncertainty and the fact that it has not
    released a further elset, I think the rocket is unlikely to have
    survived to cross the USA from Seattle to Key West some 30 minutes
    later.
    
    
    #22702 = 93- 42 C = GPS 2-21 r2 (PAM-D)
    
    I now predict this decay for Feb 6 03:17 +-18h, suggesting a six hour
    slip since yesterday. On the other hand, SpaceCom's latest estimate is
    for decay at Feb 5 19:55 +-2d. The latest elset is:
    GPS 2-21 r2      3.0  1.5  0.0  6.5 d  3.4       580 x 137 km
    1 22702U 93042C   00034.21750377  .06926384  10969-7  55398-3 0  6901
    2 22702  34.5067 358.5665 0328898 233.3345 123.7023 15.70068546152322
    
    
    See http://www.wingar.demon.co.uk/satevo/dkwatch/ for more details.
    
    
    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/
    
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