SPACEWARN Bulletin Number 460

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

February 25, 1992

SPACEWARN Activities

All information in this publication was received between January 27, 1992 and February 24, 1992.

A. List of New International Designations and Launch Dates.

USSPACECOM Catalog numbers are in parentheses.

1992-009A (21890) USA-79       Feb 23  1992-005C (21855) Cosmos 2179  Jan 29
     008A (21875) Cosmos 2180  Feb 17       005B (21854) Cosmos 2178  Jan 29
     007A (21867) JERS-1       Feb 11       005A (21853) Cosmos 2177  Jan 29
     006A (21873) USA-78       Feb 10

B. Text of Launch Announcements.

1992-009A: USA-79 was launched on February 23, 1992 by the U.S.
1992-008A: Cosmos 2180 was launched on February 17, 1992 by the C.I.S. using the Cosmos launch vehicle to continue space research. Initial orbital parameters: period 104.9 min, apogee 1028 km, perigee 980 km, inclination 82.9 deg.
1992-007A: JERS-1 was launched on February 11, 1992 using the H-1 launch vehicle from Tanegashima Space Center, Japan. Initial orbital parameters: period 96 min, apogee 579.9 km, perigee 558 km, inclination 97.7 deg. The national name of JERS-1 is FUYO-1 (meaning "rose mallow" in English).
1992-006A: USA-78 was launched on February 10, 1992 by the U.S.
1992-005A, 1992-005B, 1992-005C: Cosmos 2177, Cosmos 2178, and Cosmos 2179 were launched on January 29, 1992 by the C.I.S. utilizing the PROTON launch vehicle to continue space and navigational research. The satellites have been put into a near-circular orbit with the following parameters: initial period 11 hr 16 min, distance from the Earth's surface 19,150 km, inclination 64.5 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.
Satellites useful for simultaneous observation programs with small cameras; and for gravitational and atmospheric studies. (* indicates updated information since the last issue. The magnitude is an approximation; it assumes 75% illumination of the satellite and 900 km range. 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 February 20, 1992

Designations       National Name 1992    Designations       National Name 1992

1961-RHO 3 (00166)               Mar  5  1980-051A  (11848) METEOR 1-30   Mar  1
1963-047B  (00696)               Mar 26  1981-053HY (14362)               Mar 27
1970-025KM (05348)               Mar 12  1986-017EF (21488)               Apr 10
1970-025PB (17169)               Mar  5  1986-017EJ (21526)               Apr  7
1972-058FS (08497)               Mar 22  1986-017FK (21810)               Feb 29
1972-058JF (14875)               Feb 21  1986-019BV (17223)               Apr  1
1975-004AS (08960)               Mar 13  1988-006C  (18846)               Mar 22
1976-085B  (09390)               Mar 21  1989-045A  (20064) COSMOS 2027   Apr 13
1977-015A  (09853) COSMOS  895   Mar 26  1990-043G  (20613)               Mar  5
1978-042C  (10854)               Mar 14  1991-072B  (21744)               Mar 12

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

Designations       National Name 1991    Designations       National Name 1991

1975-052GN (21517)               Sep 29  1990-112E  (21024)               Jul 31
1975-052JP (21687)               Nov  8  1991-014F  (21202)               Aug 10

Designations       National Name 1992    Designations       National Name 1992

1965-098K  (20833)               Feb 11  1986-019LQ (17698)               Feb 11
1968-097EH (17668)               Feb 11  1989-016L  (19962)               Feb  1
1969-082EN (04441)               Feb  2  1990-038A  (20581) COSMOS 2075   Feb 20
1967-048C  (17723)               Feb  3  1990-038L  (21865)               Feb  7
1970-025L  (04608)               Jan 26  1990-038M  (21866)               Feb  6
1970-025BS (04704)               Jan 27  1990-038N  (21869)               Feb 13
1970-025NU (14468)               Jan 31  1990-038P  (21870)               Feb 11
1970-025PM (18419)               Jan 20  1990-038Q  (21871)               Feb 13
1971-015BK (05336)               Feb 12  1990-038R  (21872)               Feb 12
1971-012CC (05760)               Feb 12  1991-046F  (21541)               Jan 27
1971-096A  (05598) EXPLORER 45   Jan 10  1991-051E  (21584) MICROSAT-5    Jan 24
1972-058JH (14877)               Feb  6  1991-085A  (21816) COSMOS 2174   Jan 30
1975-033A  (07752) ARIABAT       Feb 11  1992-002A  (21846) STS-42        Jan 30
1977-065Q  (10186)               Jan 25  1992-003B  (21848)               Feb 19
1978-072A  (10984) MOLNIYA 1-41  Feb  8  1992-003C  (21849)               Feb  5
1981-053JB (14399)               Feb  3  1992-004B  (21852)               Jan 26
1982-097B  (13599)               Feb 16  1992-005D  (21856)               Jan 30
1986-019CX (17315)               Jan 23  1992-005E  (21857)               Jan 30

D. Launching Reports and Updated Information.

Update information.

1986-017A (16609) MIR
The flight trajectory of the space station has been changed; the present orbital parameters are period 92.2, apogee 878 km, perigee 411 km, and inclindation 51.6 deg.

1990-007A (20448) MUSES-A/HITEN The spacecraft was moved from an Earth orbit to a lunar orbit on February 15, 1992. The satellite will stay in selenocentric orbit at an appogee of 50,000 km, and perigee of about 10,000 km.

1992-004A (21851) PROGRESS M-11 The spacecraft docked with orbital MIR on January 27, 1992.

1992-002A (21846) STS-42 The space shuttle Discovery landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on January 30, 1992.

The planned launch date of ATLAS-1 announced in SPACEWARN Bulletin Number 459 has been changed to March 23, 1992.

Erratum:
In SPACEWARN Bulletin Number 459, the correct international ID of catalog number (17698) listed as 1986-019LD should be 1986-019LQ.

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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