Re: Cosmos 397
Leo Barhorst (leobarhorst@pi.net)
Wed, 6 Mar 96 20:37:54 PST
---------------Original Message---------------
On Tue, 5 Mar 1996 bjorn@tt-tech.se wrote:
> The Cosmos 397 debris may decay on Saturday Mar.09, and have
> a standard magnitude of about 9.5, i.e. about +6 overhead.
>
> Cosmos 397 AZ debris (RCS = 0.08 m2)
> 1 05244U 71015AZ 96063.89960885 +.01441503 +12548-2 +22305-2 0 07730
> 2 05244 065.8560 237.0696 0018391 254.9671 104.9447 16.03850053261926
What exactly is Cosmos 397? What was its mission? Is there a place
where I can find such information on my own, in the event that the
list members do not want such pesky questions asked?
Thanks.
Larry
----------End of Original Message----------
Cosmos 397 was a sovjet satellite, launched 1971 feb 25.47 in a 574 x 2202 km orbit.
It is probably a cylinder, 4 m lomg and 2 m dia.
About 1971 Feb 25.60 it passed close to Cosmos 394 and (was) exploded.
The above was taken from the RAE tables of Earth satellites.
It was a test of the sovjet anti-satellite waepon, in which the destroyer is placed in an
intersecting orbit with the target. As it passes close to it the destroyer is blown up and its
pieces will most likely destroy, at least disable, the target.
In the NORAD catelogue there are up today 90 fragments (71-15 C to DW); some 42 have
already decayed. Probably more as my files are not completly updated yet.
Greetings
-------------------------------------
Name: Leo Barhorst Alkmaar (Neth) 52038' N 4047' E
E-mail: leobarhorst@pi.net also a member of Seesat-L
-------------------------------------