NASDA press releases

Craig Cholar (3432P@VM1.CC.NPS.NAVY.MIL)
Fri, 28 Nov 97 08:02:29 PST

You can get updates on the status of the TRMM and ETS-7 satellites
at the NASDA press release page:
   http://yyy.tksc.nasda.go.jp/Home/Press/Press-e/h26f_rireki_e.html

I'll post a portion of the most recent update here, since there appears
to be a solar array problem with ETS-7.

--- TRMM status -----------------

Apogee altitude:  380.9 km   (planned value, 380.0 km)
Perigee altitude: 373.6 km   (planned value, 380.0 km)
Inclination:      35 degrees (planned value, 35.000 degrees)
Orbiting cycle:   92 minutes (planned value, 92 minutes)

TRMM's flight and operational conditions are well.  The satellite will
be injected into the desired orbit for the purpose of rainfall
measurement after about seven orbit maneuvers.  This will be announced
around December 8.

--- ETS-7 status ----------------

Apogee altitude:  551.1 km       (target, 550.0 km)
Perigee altitude: 376.9 km       (target, 378.4 km)
Inclination:      34.983 degrees (target, 35.0 degrees)
Orbit period:     93.9 minutes   (target, 93.9 minutes)

As the Perth station in Australia found an anomaly in the main solar
paddle drive system, the solar paddles are now operating with redundancy
system, and the satellite with clock mode.  NASDA is now examining the
cause of this anomaly.

ETS-VII will be transferred to the desired orbit for the purpose of
rendezvous experiments and robot arm experiments with orbit maneuvers.
However, this will not be made until the cause of anomaly observed in
the solar paddle drive system become clear.

Craig Cholar