SPACEWARN Bulletin Number 489

SPACEWARN Activities

A. List of New International Designations and Launch Dates.

1994-043A (23185) APSTAR A1      Jul 21
    -042A (23182) Cosmos 2283    Jul 20
    -041A (23179) NADEZHDA 4     Jul 14
    -040D (23178) SPELDA         Jul 08
    -040B (23176) BS-3N          Jul 08
    -040A (23175) PANAMSAT 2     Jul 08
    -039A (23173) STS 65         Jul 08
    -038A (23168) Cosmos 2282    Jul 06
    -037A (23145) FSW 2          Jul 03
    -036A (23139) Soyuz TM-19    Jul 01
    -035A (23132) USA 104        Jun 24

B. Text of Launch Announcements.

1994-043A

APSTAR A1, the Asia-Pacific geostationary communications spacecraft, was launched by a Long March 3 booster from Xichang launch center at 10:31 UT. Weighing 1.4 tons, it carried 24 C-band transponders and will be parked at 131 deg East longitude between the Japanese CS 3A spacecraft at 132 deg and the Russian RIMSAT spacecraft at 130 deg. International Telecommunications Union (ITU) may be addressing the proximity dispute.

1994-042A

Cosmos 2283, a Russian military spacecraft, was launched from Plesetsk cosmodrome by a Soyuz booster. Initial orbital parameters were period 89.5 min, apogee 356 km, perigee 179 km, and inclination 67.1 deg.

1994-041A

NADEZHDA 4, a Russian maritime search and rescue spacecraft of the COSPAS SARSAT fleet, was launched from Plesetsk cosmodrome at 06:13 UT. Initial orbital parameters were period 104.7 min, apogee 1,018 km, perigee 977 km, and inclination 82.9 deg.

1994-040D

SPELDA, an ESA spacecraft, was launched from Kourou, French Guiana, by an Arianne 44L. Initial orbital parameters were period 629 min, apogee 35,724 km, perigee 209 km, and inclination 6.9 deg.

1994-040B

BS-3N, a Japanese geostationary communications spacecraft, was launched from Kourou, French Guiana, by an Arianne 44L rocket. It will serve the Pacific region countries.

1994-040A

PANAMSAT 2 (also known as PAS 2), a U.S.A. geostationary communications spacecraft, was launched from Kourou, French Guiana, by an Arianne 44L rocket. On board were 16 C-band and 16 Ku-band transponders to serve the Asian Pacific region from over Marshall Islands.

1994-039A

STS 65, a U.S.A. shuttle spacecraft, was launched from Cape Canaveral. It carried 82 experiments, mostly on microgravity biology. On board were six goldfish, four Japanese Medeka fish, four red-bellied newts, 500 fruit flies, 126 jelly fish, and thousands of sea urchins. Initial orbital parameters were period 90.5 min, apogee 304 km, perigee 300 km, and inclination 28.4 deg.

1994-038A

Cosmos 2282, a Russian geostationary military spacecraft, was launched from Baykonur by a Proton rocket at 23:59 UT.

1994-037A

FSW 2, a P.R.C. experimental, retrievable spacecraft, was launched from Jiuquan Center at 07:00 UT by a Long March 2D rocket. Initial orbital parameters were period 89.6 min, apogee 355 km, perigee 176 km, and inclination 62.9 deg.

1994-036A

Soyuz TM-19, a Russian spacecraft, was launched from Baykonur cosmodrome at 12:25 UT to dock with the Mir station and deliver a team of cosmonauts and supplies to the station. Initial orbital parameters must have been similar to those of MIR. The docking occurred on July 3, 1994, at 13:55 UT.

1994-035A

USA 104, the Navy department's UHF communications spacecraft, was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force station by an Atlas 1 rocket. Initial orbital parameters were period 283 min, apogee 15,440 km, perigee 378 km, and inclination 27 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
   
     1994-039A (23173) STS 65               Landed on  23 Jul
     1994-037B (23146) R/B FSW 2                       13 Jul
     1974-075C (07468) R/B WESTAR 2                    12 Jul
     1994-033B (23123) R/B FOTON 9                     10 Jul
     1994-038B (23169) R/B COSMOS 2282                 09 Jul
     1994-001A (22957) SOYUZ TM-18          Landed on  09 Jul
     1994-038C (23170) R/B COSMOS 2282                 08 Jul
     1994-036B (22140) R/B SOYUZ TM-19                 03 Jul
     1994-033A (23122) FOTON 9                         02 Jul
     19940931A (23114) PROGRESS M-23                   02 Jul
     1994-032A (23119) COSMOS 2281                     29 Jun
     1994-042C (23183) R/B COSMOS 2283                 26 Jun
   
   

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.)

   The launch of SMEX/FAST has been postponed to mid-1995. The Pioneer 11 power resource may enable it to remain operational until mid-1995.

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