All information in this publication was received between 1 October 2003 and 31 October 2003.
USSPACECOM Catalog numbers are in parentheses.
COSPAR/WWAS USSPACECOM SPACECRAFT LAUNCH
INT.ID CAT. # NAME DATE (UT)
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2003-050A (28060) SERVIS 1 30 October 2003
2003-049B (28058) Innovation 1 21 October 2003
2003-049A (28057) CBERS 21 October 2003
2003-048A (28054) DMSP F-16 (USA 172) 18 October 2003
2003-047A (28052) Soyuz TMA 3 18 October 2003
2003-046A (28050) IRS P6 17 October 2003
2003-045A (28043) Shenzhou 5 15 October 2003
2003-044A (27954) Horizons 1(Galaxy 13) 01 October 2003
2003-043E (27951) INSAT 3E 27 September 2003
2003-043C (27949) SMART 1 27 September 2003
2003-043A (27948) E-Bird 27 September 2003
2003-042G (27945) BilSat 1 27 September 2003
2003-042F (27944) NigeriaSat 1 27 September 2003
2003-042E (27943) BNSCSat 27 September 2003
2003-042D (27942) Mozhayets 4 27 September 2003
2003-042C (27941) KAISTSat 4 27 September 2003
2003-042B (27940) Larets 27 September 2003
2003-042A (27939) Rubin 4 27 September 2003
| 2003-050A | SERVIS 1 (Space Environment Reliability Verification Integrated System) is Japanese test satellite that was launched by a Rokot rocket from Plesetsk at 13:43 UT on 30 October. The 900 kg, 1.4 x 1.4 x 2.3 m, 1.2 kW satellite carries mostly commercially available off-the-shelf household items like PCs and cell phones so as to ascertain the viability of such inexpensive satellites. It carries parts evaluation monitors also to measure the degradation due to gamma rays and energetic particles. Initial orbital parameters were period 105 min, apogee 1015 km, perigee 982 km, and inclination 99.5°. |
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| 2003-049B | Innovation 1, also known as Chuangxin 1, is a Chinese (PRC) prototype of an advanced telecommunication satellite with potentials for environmental protection, oil and gas transportation, flood prevention and earthquake monitoring. The 100 kg satellite was launched by a Long March 4B rocket from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi province on 21 October 2003. Initial orbital parameters were period 99.2 min, apogee 759 km, perigee 686 km, and inclination 98.5°. |
| 2003-049A | CBERS (China Brazil Earth Resources Satellite) is a Sino-Brazilian remote sensing satellite that was launched by a Long March 4B rocket from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center is Shanxi province on 21 October 2003. The 1.6 tonne satellite will collect data relevant to environment, agriculture, urban planning and water pollution, under Chinese control for 18 months, and later under Brazilian control during the remaining lifetime (of six or more months). Initial orbital parameters were period 99.6 min, apogee 750 km, perigee 731 km, and inclination 98.5°. |
| 2003-048A | DMSP F-16 (Defense Meteorological Satellite Program F-16) is an American military satellite that was launched by a Titan 2 rocket from Vandenberg AFB at 16:17 UT on 18 October 2003. As in the case of other DMSP satellites the operational responsibility of the satellite will be with the NOAA. It carries instruments to monitor oceans and clouds in the visible and infrared bands at moderate resolution to enable strategic and tactical planning needs of the military. It is also likely to carry auroral energetic particle monitors, like all the previous DMSP satellites. Initial orbital parameters were period 101.9 min, apogee 853 km, perigee 843 km, and inclination 98.9°. |
| 2003-047A | Soyuz TMA 3 is a Russian passenger-transporting satellite that was launched by a Soyuz-FG rocket from Baikonur at 05:38 UT on 18 October 2003. It carried three astronauts (a Russian, an American and a Spanish) to the International Space Station (ISS). It docked automatically with the Zarya module 20 October 2003 and the crew moved into the ISS. The Spanish astronaut conducted some microgravity life science experiments, code named Cervantes (the author of Don Quixote) while in the ISS for about 10 days. The other two crew members will remain in the ISS for a six-month stay, relieving the two astronauts from the previous mission. The two astronauts that had stayed on ISS for six months plus the Spanish astronaut returned to Earth in the Soyuz TMA 2 module (that had remained docked with the ISS) at 02:41 UT on 28 October 2003, soft-landing at the precisely planned location in Kazakhstan. Initial orbital parameters of Soyuz TMA 3 were period 92.2 min, apogee 384 km, perigee 376 km and inclination 51.6°. |
| 2003-046A | IRS P6, also known as ResourceSat 1, is an Indian remote sensing and photo-imaging spacecraft that was launched by a PSLV-C5 rocket from Sriharikota in southeast India at 04:54 UT on 17 October 2003. The 1,360 kg satellite carries high-resolution imaging instruments to monitor agricultural, land, and water resources. Initial orbital parameters of the Sun-synchronous orbit were period 101.4 min, apogee 836 km, perigee 813 km, and inclination 98.8°. |
| 2003-045A | Shenzhou 5 meaning Divine Vessel 5) is a Chinese (PRC) manned satellite that was launched by a Long March 2F (translated from Changzheng 2F) rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC) in northwestern China at 01:00 UT on 15 October 2003. The previously launched Shenzhou spacecraft were the unmanned, test versions of this satellite. The 8.5 tonne satellite consists of three modules, the middle one being the manned one carrying one astronaut. After 21 hours of orbiting, the manned module and the service module were separated from the orbiter module, and commenced the return to Earth. During the descent, the manned module was separated from the service module and soft-landed on Earth in Inner Mongolia at 22:23 UT on 16 October 2003. Initial orbital parameters were period 91.2 min, apogee 336 km, perigee 332 km, and inclination 42.4°. |
| 2003-044A | Horizons 1 (Galaxy 13) is a joint American-Japanese (i.e., PanAmSat-JSAT corporations) geostationary communications spacecraft that was launched by a Zenit 3 rocket from the floating platform Odyssey in equatorial Pacific Ocean on 1 October 2003. The 2.6 tonne (4.06 tonnes including the fuel), 9.9 kW satellite carries 24 transponders each in the C- and Ku-bands to provide digital video, internet, and data services to the countries on either side of the Pacific Ocean after parking over 127° W longitude. The alternative designation of Galaxy 13 is adopted from the fact that the C-band component is a legacy of the Galaxy series and its co-owner PanAmSat who will control it, not the JSAT. |
| 2003-043E | INSAT 3E is an Indian geostationary communications satellite that was launched by an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou at 23:14 UT on 27 September 2003. It joins the currently operational fleet of four such INSATs (2E, 3A, 3B, and 3C). The 2.8 tonne, triaxially-stabilized satellite carries 24 C-band, and 12 extended C-band transponders to provide communications and television services to the Indian subcontinent, after parking over 55° E longitude. |
| 2003-043C | SMART 1
(Small Missions for Advanced Research in Technology 1) is
an ESA lunar mission to test solar electric propulsion technology and
to ascertain the surface minerals on the Moon. It was launched by an
Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou at 23:14 UT on 27 September 2003. The
367 kg, 1.9 kW satellite uses the electrical power from solar panels
to ionize and accelerate heavy ions (from 82 kg of Xenon gas) that
are then ejected at high speeds from the rear end of the satellite.
For comparison, the specific impulse of a chemical thruster is about
3000 Newton-seconds per kilogram, while for an ion thruster it can
range from five to 30 times of that. Besides testing the novel
propulsion system, it carries a few small packages of instruments to
map the mineralogy of the lunar surface by remote sensing. The
controlled propulsion will enable a slow spiraling of the orbit to
the final ellipse with periselene at 300 km, and aposelene at
10,000 km altitude, with an inclination of nearly 90°.
The Project Manager is Guiseppe Racca, ESA/ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands. (Email: Giuseppe.Racca@esa.int). More information on the engineering and science of the mission is available via, http://sci.esa.int/. The following are among the instruments on board. AMIE is an imaging instrument to survey the terrain in visible and infrared wavelengths. The Principal Investigator is J. Josset of the CSEM, Switzerland. SIR is an infrared spectrometer to monitor the emission line from surface minerals. The Principal Investigator is U. Keller of the Max Planck Institute für Aeronomie, Germany. D-CIXS is an x-ray spectrometer to capture the x-ray line-emissions from atoms which fluoresce under the impact of solar x-rays. Of particular interest will be the iron population on the surface. The Principal Investigator is M. Grande, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, UK. XSM is an x-ray monitor to capture the solar x-rays, so as to decontaminate the data from D-CIXS. The Principal Investigator is J. Huovenin, University of Helsinki Observatory, Finland. SPEDE will sample the ions in the solar wind's lunar wake. The Principal Investigator is W. Schmidt, FMI, Finland. |
| 2003-043A | E-Bird is a European geostationary communications spacecraft that was launched by an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou at 23:14 UT on 27 September 2003. The 888 kg, 1.6 kW satellite carries 20 Ku-band transponders to provide video and data transmissions to Europe and Turkey through four antenna beams, after parking over 33° E longitude. |
| 2003-042G | BilSat 1 is a Turkish DMC (multinational Disaster Monitoring Constellation) satellite that was launched by a Kosmos 3M rocket at 06:12 UT on 27 September 2003 from Plesetsk Cosmodrome. The 130 kg satellite carries five imaging cameras to monitor natural disasters at a resolution of 26 m in color by four cameras (operating in red, green, blue, and infrared colors) and another at 4-m resolution in black-and-white. The DMC is run by an organization of seven countries (UK, Algeria, China, Nigeria, Thailand, Turkey, and Vietnam) with the satellites built at Surrey, UK. BilSat 1 will also help in agriculture and urban planning. Initial orbital parameters were period 98.5 min, apogee 694 km, perigee 675 km, and inclination 98.2°. |
| 2003-042F | NigeriaSat 1 is a Nigerian DMC (multinational Disaster Monitoring Constellation) satellite that was launched by a Kosmos 3M rocket from Plesetsk at 06:12 UT on 27 September 2003. It carries imaging cameras for disaster monitoring, urban planning and agriculture. Initial orbital parameters were period 98.5 min apogee 694 km, perigee 675 km, and inclination 98.2°. |
| 2003-042E | BNSCSat (British National Science Center SATellite, also known as UK-DMC) is a British DMC (multinational Disaster Monitoring Constellation) satellite that was launched by a Kosmos 3M rocket from Plesetsk at 06:12 UT on 27 September 2003. Besides disaster monitoring, it will help in urban planning and agriculture surveys. Initial orbital parameters were period 98.5 min, apogee 695 km, perigee 676 km, and inclination 98.2°. |
| 2003-042D | Mozhayets 4 is a Russian cadets' training satellite that was launched by a Kosmos 3M rocket from Plesetsk at 06:12 UT on 27 September 2003. It will help in laser-assisted geodesic measurements via its optical reflectors. Initial orbital parameters were period 98.5 min, apogee 695 km, perigee 675 km, and inclination 98.2°. |
| 2003-042C | KAISTSat 4 (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology SATellite 4) is a South Korean astrophysical satellite that was launched by a Kosmos 3M rocket from Plesetsk at 06:12 UT on 27 September 2003. The 120 kg satellite carries a special UV imaging spectrograph to monitor gas clouds in the Galaxy. It will complete a full-sky mapping in about a year, by scanning a one-degree strip every day. Additionally, it may also aim the telescope downward to image auroral displays. Initial orbital parameters were period 98.5 min, apogee 695 km, perigee 675 km, and inclination 98.2°. |
| 2003-042B | Larets is a Russian satellite that was launched by a Kosmos 3M rocket from Plesetsk at 06:12 UT on 27 September 2003. It will help "tuning ground radars". It carries reflectors for ground-based laser rangers. Initial orbital parameters were period 98.5 min, apogee 696 km, perigee 675 km, and inclination 98.2°. |
| 2003-042A | Rubin 4 is a German satellite that was launched by a Kosmos 3M rocket from Plesetsk at 06:12 UT on 27 September 2003. It remained attached to the upper stage of the rocket so as to monitor its position, velocity, and acceleration. Initial orbital parameters were period 98.5 min, apogee 696 km, perigee 676 km, and inclination 98.2° |
Note: The full list appeared in SPX 545. The list will not be repeated in future issues until significantly revised again.
High precision (<20 cm) GPS constellation tracking data obtained from the network of about 400 dedicated global stations that are of interest to geodetic study may be obtained through the following services provided by the International GNSS Service (IGS). The IGS is a service of the International Association of Geodesy (IAG).
FTP: igscb.jpl.nasa.gov [directory /igscb]
WWW: http://igscb.jpl.nasa.gov/
E-mail: igscb@cobra.jpl.nasa.gov
The standard format of the GPS situation appeared in SPACEWARN Bulletin No. 518.
It will not be repeated since an excellent source of trajectory- and science-related GPS
information is at:
http://www.colorado.edu/geography/gcraft/notes/gps/gps_f.html
It provides many links to GPS related databases.
The latest addition to the fleet is Navstar 51 (GPS 2R-8), 2003-005A.
All GLONASS spacecraft are in the general Cosmos series. The Cosmos numbers invoked by USSPACECOM have often differed from the numbers (NNNN) associated in Russia; when different, the USSPACECOM Cosmos numbers are shown in parentheses. The corresponding GLONASS numbers are Russian numbers, followed by the numbers in parentheses that are sometimes attributed to them outside Russia.
The operating frequencies in MHz are computed from the channel number K. Frequencies (MHz) = 1602.0 + 0.5625K and L2 = 1246.0 + 0.4375K.
The standard format of the GLONASS situation last appeared in SPACEWARN Bulletin No. 545. It will not be repeated in view of the excellent updated source at: http://www.glonass-ianc.rsa.ru/ maintained by the Information-Analytical Center (IAC), Russian Space Agency.
See http://www.space-track.org/perl/bulk_files.pl. Users must register. Conditions apply.
Designations Common Name Decay Date (2003) 2003-016A (27781) SOYUZ TMA 2 28 Oct 2003-045B (28044) R/B Long March 2F 25 Oct 2003-047B (28053) R/B Soyuz-FG 20 Oct 2003-045A (28043) SHENZHOU 5 soft-landed on 16 Oct 2002-034C (27459) R/B(2) Delta 2 15 Oct 1988-066E (19348) R/B(Aux.Mot.) that launched COSMOS 1961 15 Oct 1994-080B (23416) R/B Long March 3A 13 Oct 1994-027B (23100) R/B ASLV-D4 06 Oct 1989-078D (20258) R/B(2) that launched MOLNIYA 1-76 06 Oct 2003-025A (27823) PROGRESS M1-10 03 Oct
See http://www.space-track.org/perl/60day_decay_predict.pl. Users must register for access. Conditions apply
NSSDC/WDC for Satellite Information is an archival center for science
data from many spacecraft. Many space physics datasets are on-line for
electronic access through:
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/space/
For off-line data, please contact the Request Office, NSSDC, Code 690.1,
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, U.S.A., for specific information
(nssdc-request@listserv.gsfc.nasa.gov).
Information on the current status of the instruments on board from the
investigators will be most welcomed. Precomputed trajectory files
and orbital parameters of many magnetospheric and heliospheric science-payload
spacecraft may be obtained from:
http://nssdcftp.gsfc.nasa.gov/miscellaneous/orbits/
Other files of interest for Earth-centered spacecraft can be generated via the URL,
http://sscweb.gsfc.nasa.gov/
Programs related to the heliospheric spacecraft trajectories can be executed
through the URL:
http://cohoweb.gsfc.nasa.gov/helios/heli.html
Magnetospheric, Planetary, and Astronomical science data from many spacecraft
may be accessed through links from the URL:
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/
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