Re: SL-16 R/B - Bright Flasher
Ron Lee (ronlee@pcisys.net)
Tue, 14 Jul 1998 06:36:44 -0600
There is a likely explanation for rockets becoming tumblers after they
dispense the payload. In order to minimize the chance of explosions and
debris, I suspect that rockets expel unused propellants. If that is done
at an angle to the rocket body, it should cause them to tumble.
Ron Lee
>
>SL-16 R/B (a.k.a. Zenit 2, 25400, 98043G) emerged from (exited from ?) the
>earths shadow at about 22:51:45 EDT (02:51:45 UT; 14 July), passing to the
>right of alpha-Oph at about 22:52:45 EDT. It seamed to be steady at a
+1.5 to
>2.0 mag. It passes directly overhead and soon became a flasher again. At
>22:53:50 EDT I began to notice the flashing at about an 8 sec period (+3.0 ->
>inv).
>
>All 3 passes were northbound passes. In all 3 passes the flashing seemed to
>begin in the northern half of the sky. On my first observation (21:58 EDT 11
>July; 01:58 UT, 12 July; northbound but in the eastern sky) I did not note
the
>flashing.
>
>I understand from Mike McCant's post last week that it is common for these
>object to tumble after releasing their payload(s). Anyone else note the
>flashing?
>
>Cheers.
>Don Gardner
>Homepage: http://members.aol.com/mir16609/
>76.8419 W, 39.1796 N, 34m ASL
>
>