Re: Just wondered...

From: Tony Beresford (starman@camtech.net.au)
Date: Mon Mar 27 2000 - 01:58:36 PST

  • Next message: Ted Molczan: "RE: Obs of 76-91A, #09415, DMSP B5D1-1"

    At 17:58 27/03/00 , Mark Harris wrote:
    >I read somewhere that Mir & the ISS orbit at 92 and 91 minutes respectively (or vice versa). Because of this one-minute "gain", does this mean that, in some forseeable point in the future, we'll be able to see both of them in one viewing? (Obviously, it won't be for a while yet... and I'm probably way wrong.)
    >
    >Mark
    >Lat: 50.909 N
    >Lng: 2.789 W
    
    Mark, I give below current TLEs for both MIR and ISS, at epochs close together
    ( day 86.8768.. for MIR, 87.0391.. for ISS) 
    The  4th number on line 2 for both( counting the id line as line 0),
    gives the right ascension of the ascending node. This reveals that although
    they have a common inclination , the orbit planes are separated by about 120
    degrees. This means that even if they crossed the equator at the same time,
    they would be separated by 120 degrees in longitude. At your latitude near 
    the northern apex this is even more restrictive. At my latitude it is just
    possible to have a N-S and a S-N pass of both objects during a summer
    evening or late summer evening
    Tony Beresford
    34.9638S, 138.6333E
    Mir Complex     32.7  4.2  0.0  1.6 v  395       337 x 333 km
    1 16609U 86017A   00086.87683184  .00086142  00000-0  48531-3 0  4577
    2 16609  51.6495 320.7718 0002866 113.0497 247.0806 15.78453481806185
    ISS             20.0  4.0  0.0  2.5 d   70       362 x 351 km
    1 25544U 98067A   00087.03918981  .00067866  00000-0  53316-3 0  4858
    2 25544  51.5873 200.4857 0008089 342.0840 350.6863 15.70833609 77000
     
    
    -----------------------------------------------------------------
    Unsubscribe from SeeSat-L by sending a message with 'unsubscribe'
    in the SUBJECT to SeeSat-L-request@lists.satellite.eu.org
    http://www2.satellite.eu.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
    



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Mar 27 2000 - 01:59:05 PST