SPACEWARN Bulletin Number 488

SPACEWARN Activities

A. List of New International Designations and Launch Dates.

1994-034C (23126) STRV 1B        Jun 17
    -034B (23125) STRV 1A        Jun 17
    -034A (23124) INTELSAT 702   Jun 17
    -033A (23122) FOTON 9        Jun 14
    -032A (23119) Cosmos 2281    Jun 07

B. Text of Launch Announcements.

1994-034C, 1994-034B

STRV 1B and STRV 1A are two mini-satellites of the British military, launched by an Ariane rocket from Kourou, French Guiana. Each is a cube of side 50 cm and mass 50 kg and was launched into orbit to test new solar cells and measure static charge on its surfaces. Initial orbital parameters of each were period 633 min, apogee 35,831, perigee 284 km, and inclination 7.1 deg.

1994-034A

INTELSAT 702, a geostationary communications spacecraft of the ITSO consortium, was launched by an Ariane rocket from Kourou, French Guiana, at 07:07 UT. The number 702 of this INTELSAT appears to be a revised or alternative designation; preceding INTELSATs had been designated as 7-F1, 6-F5, etc.

1994-033A

FOTON 9, a Russian spacecraft, was launched by a SOYUZ rocket from Plesetsk cosmodrome at 16:00 UT. The 8,200 kg spacecraft, with a research payload of 700 kg, is expected to orbit for 18 days, conducting microgravity experiments in solid state and biological disciplines. Initial orbital parameters were period 90.4 min, apogee 385 km, perigee 229 km, and inclination 62.8 deg.

1994-032A

Cosmos 2281, a Russian military spacecraft, was launched by a SOYUZ rocket from Plesetsk cosmodrome at 07:20 UT. The number 2281 had earlier been assigned to an identical spacecraft that was launched on May 26 but failed to attain orbit. Initial orbital parameters are period 88.7 min, apogee 265 km, perigee 192 km, and inclination 82.6 deg.

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            1994
   
   1979-072C (13940)      R/B WESTAR 3           13 Jun
   1994-032B (23120)      R/B COSMOS 2281        10 Jun
   1963-024A (00604)      TIROS 7                03 Jun
   1994-019A (23035)      PROGRESS M-24          23 May
   
   

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.)

   It appears likely that the ISTP spacecraft Wind may be launched in early November 1994 and Interball-Tail in September 1994; the launches/dates of the other ISTP spacecraft, Polar and Interball-Aurora, remain to be determined. TOMS-EP may be launched in July 1994 and FAST in August 1994. The May 1994 issue of STEP International, a monthly newsletter of the international STEP program, provides tentative launch dates of several future science missions of interest to solar-terrestrial physics.

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