SPACEWARN Bulletin Number 458

A publication of NASA's National Space Science Data Center/World Data Center-A for Rockets and Satellites on behalf of IUWDS/COSPAR

December 26, 1991

SPACEWARN Activities

All information in this publication was received between November 25, and December 25, 1991.

A. List of New International Designations and Launch Dates.

USSPACECOM Catalog numbers are in parentheses.

1991-087A (21821) Raduga 28      Dec 19	1991-076D (21808) USA-76         Nov  8
     086A (21819) Intercosmos 25 Dec 18	     080B (21805) USA-75         Nov 24
     085A (21816) Unknown        Dec 17	     083A (21803) EUTELSAT-II F3 Dec  7
     084B (21814) INMARSAT-2 F3  Dec 16	     076C (21799) USA-74         Nov  8
     084A (21813) TELECOM-2A     Dec 16	     082A (21798) USA-73         Nov 28
     076E (21809) USA-77         Nov  8	     081A (21796) Cosmos 2173    Nov 27

B. Text of Launch Announcements.

1991-087A: Raduga 28, a telecommunications satellite, was launched on December 19, 1991 by the U.S.S.R. using the PROTON launching rocket. Initial orbital parameters: period 24 hr 32 min, distance from the Earth 36,500 km, inclination 1.5 deg.
1991-086A: Intercosmos 25, also known as APEX, was launched on December 18, 1991 by the USSR using the TSIKLON launcher rocket to study high solar activity near the Earth, similar to the ACTIVE mission. Initial orbital parameters: period 121.7 min, apogee 3080 km, perigee 440 km, inclination 82.5 deg. It also carried a Czech subsatellite called MAGION 3.
1991-085A: An unknown spacecraft was launched on December 17, 1991 by the U.S.S.R.
1991-084B: INMARSAT-2 F3 was launched on December 16, 1991 from the Kourou Space Center.
1991-084A: TELECOM-2A was launched on December 16, 1991 from the Kourou Space Center. Initial orbital parameters: period 764.8 min, apogee 35,769 km, perigee 6910 km, inclination 1.9 deg.
1991-076E: USA-77 was launched on November 8, 1991 by the U.S.
1991-076D: USA-76 was launched on November 8, 1991 by the U.S.
1991-080B: USA-75 was deployed from the orbiting STS-44 on November 24, 1991.
1991-083A: EUTELSAT-II F3 was launched on December 7, 1991 by the ESA. Initial orbital parameters: period 996.4 min, apogee 41,008 km, perigee 12,347 km, inclination 17.0 deg.
1991-076C: USA-74 was launched on November 8, 1991 by the U.S.
1991-082A: USA-73 (Defense Meteorological Satellite Program F-11) was launched on November 26, 1991 by the U.S. using an ATLAS E booster rocket. Initial orbital parameters: period 101.9 min, apogee 870 km, perigee 846 km, inclination 98.9 deg.
1991-081A: Cosmos 2173 was launched on November 27, 1991 by the U.S.S.R. using the Cosmos carrier rocket. Initial orbital parameters: period 104.8 min, apogee 1030 km, perigee 965 km, inclination 82.9 deg.

C. Spacecraft Particularly Suited for International Participation

Category I

Spacecraft with essentially continuous radio beacons on frequencies less than 150 MHz, or higher frequencies if especially suited for ionospheric or geodetic studies. To see a list select here.
Global Positioning System satellites useful for navigational purposes and geodetic studies. To see a list select here.
Optical objects used for geophysical studies. To see a list select here.
Satellites useful for simultaneous observation programs with small cameras.(SPACEWARN would appreciate suggestions to update this list.) To see a list select here.

Satellite objects that are nearing their decay into the atmosphere. (Orbital observations of these objects during the decaying phase are useful for atmospheric studies. Note: For maneuverable spacecraft the prediction may be invalid.)

          Objects predicted to decay within 60 days from December 12, 1991

                            Expected Decay Dates 1991

1967-045C  (02823)             Dec 20	1975-004CJ (09000)             Dec 13
1967-102B  (03011)             Dec 18	1986-017DZ (21481)             Dec 16
1970-089BN (05295)             Dec 16	1986-017EX (21619)             Dec 16

         (The above space objects have since decayed, see Section C.6)

1961-OMI 206 (00662)           Dec 25	1978-028FX (14457)             Dec 26
1966-070B  (02404)             Dec 25	1986-019DQ (17343)             Dec 26
1975-004HM (19053)             Dec 26	1990-038B  (20582)             Dec 26

                            Expected Decay Dates 1992

1986-017EA (21482)             Jan  4	1962-A ALP4 (00313)            Jan 18
1986-019CW (17314)             Jan  6	1991-051D   (21583) MICROSAT-4 Jan 19
1980-030T  (12345)             Jan  7	1991-051B   (21581) MICROSAT-2 Jan 20
1991-051C  (21582) MICROSAT-3  Jan 10	1991-051F   (21585) MICROSAT-6 Jan 20
1975-004GD (09682)             Jan 12	1977-065Q   (10186)            Jan 25
1984-021C  (14782)             Jan 16	1991-051E   (21584) MICROSAT-5 Jan 25
1973-080A  (06907) COSMOS 604  Jan 17	1970-025BS  (04704)            Jan 30
1990-049B  (20639)             Jan 17	1970-025L   (04608)            Feb  7
1991-051G  (21586) MICROSAT-7  Jan 17	1975-033A   (07752) ARIABAT    Feb  7

Actual decays/landings of payload spacecraft and rocket bodies (R/B) only. Additional information is not available.

                            Actual Decay Dates 1991

1965-082TF (05376)              Dec  7	1986-017DZ (21481)              Dec 16
1967-045C  (02823)              Dec 21	1986-017EX (21619)              Dec 18
1967-102B  (03011)              Dec 19	1986-017EZ (21625)              Dec  6
1969-082JR (05757)              Dec 20	1986-017FB (21627)              Dec  3
1969-082KX (17661)              Dec 20	1989-085C  (20304)              Dec  5
1970-025LM (05508)              Nov 23	1989-100AH (21767)              Nov 23
1970-089BN (05295)              Dec 16	1989-100AM (21771)              Nov 22
1970-089DA (15782)              Dec  8	1989-100AN (21772)              Nov 29
1972-058CC (07934)              Dec  8	1989-100AP (21773)              Nov 27
1975-004CJ (09000)              Dec 13	1989-100AQ (21774)              Dec  6
1975-052GR (21520)              Nov 21	1991-078B  (21788)              Nov 24
1975-052HZ (21673)              Nov 11	1991-071A  (21741) COSMOS 2163  Dec  7
1975-052JB (21675)              Dec  1	1991-080A  (21795) STS-44       Dec  1
1978-093B  (11078)              Dec 25	1991-087B  (21822)              Dec 21
1981-060A  (12556) MOLNIYA 1-50 Dec 14	1991-087C  (21823)              Dec 20
1981-115A  (12968) BHASKARA 2   Nov 30

D. Launching Reports and Updated Information.

Prelaunch announcement. (This section covers only those reports that are sent directly to us by the national agencies.)

Spacelab:              IML-1 (International Microgravity Laboratory)
Planned Launch Date:   January 22, 1992
Country:               United States of America

Mission Description:
    The Spacelab International Microgravity Laboratory mission has a configured
    payload complement primarily of experiments previously flown on Spacelab
    misssions.  The IML-1 payload consists of experiments that will conduct
    selected science, technology, and application investigations that require
    the low Earth orbit with emphasis on experiments that investigate the effect
    of microgravity on material and life science processes.  The Spacelab
    configuration consists of the long module.



Flight Profile:
    a. STS Flight:    STS-42
    b. Launch Site:   Kennedy Space Center
    c. Landing Site:  Edwards Air Force Base
    d. Inclination:   57.0 deg
    c  Altitude:      302 km (163 nmi)
    f. Duration:      7 days

Communications:
    All IML-1 communications with ground are via the Shuttle RF links.

Prelaunch announcement. (This section covers only those reports that are sent directly to us by the national agencies.)

Spacecraft Name:     Japanese Earth Resources Satellite-1 (JERS-1)
Planned Launch Date: February 3, 1992
Country:             Japan
Orbit Type:          Sun Synchronous Orbit

Period         Apogee          Perigee        Inclination         Weight

ca.96 m       ca.568 km       ca.568 km        ca.98 deg          ca.1.4T
                                                             (beginning of life)

       Coverage Cycle Duration     Time of Descending Node Equator Crossing

               44 days                         10:30 - 11:00 am

              Nominal Transmitting Frequencies and Output Power

                            2220 MHz    0.21/0.054 w
                            1275 MHz          1490 w
                       8150/8350 MHz            20 w/ch

Probability of Survival in 2 years:  More than 0.7
Launching Organization:  National Space Development Agency of Japan
Spacecraft Mission:  1)  To verify functions and performance of optical sensors
                         and a synthetic aperture radar and to establish an
                         integrated system for observing Earth's resources.
                     2)  To perform observations and measurements for land
                         survey, agriculture, forestry, fishery, environmental
                         preservation, disaster prevention, and coastal 
                         surveillance.

Update information.

1991-080A (21795) STS-44
Initial orbital parameters: period 91.6 min, apogee 368 km, perigee 361 km, inclination 28.4 deg. The space shuttle Atlantis landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on December 1, 1991.

1991-079A (21789) COSMOS 2172
Initial orbital parameters: period 1463.2 min, apogee 36,334 km, perigee 36,304 km, inclination 1.4 deg.

1991-078A (21787) COSMOS 2171
Initial orbital parameters: period 89.1 min, apogee 306 km, perigee 186 km, inclination 62.8 deg.

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Questions/comments about the content of these pages should be directed to:
The World Warning Agency for Satellites, wwas@nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov
National Space Science Data Center, Mail Code 633
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771

Page Curator:
Dr. Edwin V. Bell, II, ed.bell@gsfc.nasa.gov, +1-301-286-1187
NSSDC, Mail Code 633, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771