SPACEWARN Bulletin Number 481

SPACEWARN Activities

A. List of New International Designations and Launch Dates.

1993-073B (22912) METEOSAT 6    Nov 20
     073A (22911) SOLIDARIDAD-1 Nov 20
     072A (22907) Gorizont 29   Nov 18
     071A (22904) Cosmos 2267   Nov 05
     070A (22888) Cosmos 2266   Nov 02
     069A (22880) Gorizont 28   Oct 28
     068A (22877) USA 96        Oct 26
     067A (22875) Cosmos 2265   Oct 26

B. Text of Launch Announcements.

1993-073B

METEOSAT 6, a European meteorological spacecraft, was launched by an Ariane 44 LP rocket from Kourou, French Guiana, at 01:17 UT.

1993-073A

SOLIDARIDAD-1, a Mexican geostationary communications spacecraft, was launched by an Ariane 44 LP rocket. It will cover regions north of Mexico in the Ku-band and regions southward in C-band.

1993-072A

Gorizont 29, a Russian geostationary communications spacecraft, was launched by a Proton rocket from Baykonur cosmodrome. Orbital parameters are period 23 hr 19 min, apogee 35,088 km, perigee 35,037 km, and inclination 1.4 deg. The parking longitude is 130 deg east.

1993-071A

Cosmos 2267, a Russian spacecraft, was launched by a Soyuz rocket from Plesetsk cosmodrome. Initial orbital parameters are period 89 min, apogee 279 km, perigee 198 km, and inclination 70.4 deg.

1993-070A

Cosmos 2266, a Russian spacecraft, was launched from Plesetsk cosmodrome by a Cosmos rocket at 13:10 UT. Initial orbital parameters are period 108 min, apogee 1,031 km, perigee 967 km, and inclination 82.9 deg.

1993-069A

Gorizont 28, a Russian geostationary communications spacecraft, was launched by a Proton rocket from Baykonur cosmodrome. It will provide telephone and TV communications to Siberia and the Far East. Orbital parameters are period 23 hr 55 min, apogee 35,788 km, and perigee 35,354 km, and inclination 1.4 deg. The parking longitude is 90 deg east.

1993-068A

USA 96, also known as GPS-2-23, was launched from Cape Canaveral AFB by a Delta 2 rocket. It is the twenty-third member of a full constellation of 24 spacecraft. A publicly available frequency channel will enable navigational accuracy of 100 meters, while an encrypted channel will enable the military a more accurate capability. Orbital parameters are period 718 min, apogee 20,264 km, perigee 20,107 km, and inclination 55.08 deg.

1993-067A

Cosmos 2265, a Russian spacecraft, was launched from Plesetsk cosmodrome by a Cosmos rocket at 13:00 UT. Initial orbital parameters are period 104 min, apogee 1,592 km, perigee 301 km,and inclination 82.9 deg. The rocket was a modified combat missile, with the environmental toxicity of the fuel reduced by a factor of 10.

C. Spacecraft Particularly Suited for International Participation

Category I

1. 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.

2. Global Positioning System satellites useful for navigational purposes and geodetic studies. To see a list select here.

   The GPS 2-NN series orbit in six distinct planes that are 60 deg apart. Each plane has four "slots." Following are the members of the planes/slots:

   PLANE      RAAN OF PLANE       SLOT-1     SLOT-2      SLOT-3      SLOT-4
   
     A           269               2-21       2-12        2-15        2-04
     B           329               2-18       2-07        2-02        2-22
     C            29               2-23       2-13        2-19        2-20
     D            89               2-11       2-09        2-05        ----
     E           149               2-01       2-08        2-03        2-10
     F           209               2-16       2-14        2-06        2-17
   
   

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

   Designations         Common Name                      1993
   
   1993-072B (22908)    R/B GORIZONT 29                  21 Nov
   1993-064A (22867)    PROGRESS M-20                    21 Nov
   1976-024A (08754)    COSMOS 808                       20 Nov
   1988-051D (19218)    METEOSAT P2                      10 Nov
   1993-071A (22905)    R/B COSMOS 2267                  08 Nov
   1981-113A (12959)    MOLNIYA 1-51                     02 Nov
   1993-069B (22881)    R/B GORIZONT 28                  31 Oct
   1993-063H (22870)    JIANBING                         28 Oct
   1993-063B (22860)    R/B JIANBING                     22 Oct
   1988-109D (19690)    SKYNET/ASTRA                     22 Oct
   
   

4. Miscellaneous Items. (This section contains information/data that are entered on occasion and may not be repeated in each issue of the SPACEWARN Bulletin.)

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

NASA Official: J. H. King, joe.king@gsfc.nasa.gov
Last updated: 23 May 1995, EVB II