SPACEWARN Bulletin Number 492

SPACEWARN Activities

A. List of New International Designations and Launch Dates.

1994-068A (23323) IRS-P2        Oct 15
    -067A (23319) Express 1     Oct 13
    -066A (23317) Okean 01      Oct 11
    -065B (23314) THAICOM 2     Oct 08
    -065A (23313) Solidaridad 2 Oct 08
    -064A (23305) INTELSAT 703  Oct 06
    -063A (23288) Soyuz TM-20   Oct 03
    -062A (23285) STS 68        Sep 30
    -061A (23278) Cosmos 2292   Sep 27

B. Text of Launch Announcements.

1994-068A

IRS-P2, an Indian Remote Sensing spacecraft, was launched by a four-stage PSLV-D2 rocket from Sriharikota launch center in southeastern India at 05:08 UT. The 870 kg spacecraft is in a Sun-synchronous orbit, is stabilized triaxially, and carries a linear imaging self-scanner camera in a Sun-synchronous orbit. The images will be marketed through a private company in the U.S.A. Initial orbital parameters were period 98.7 min, apogee 881 km, perigee 804 km, and inclination 98.7 deg.

1994-067A

Express 1 is a Russian geostationary communications spacecraft that was launched by a Proton-K booster from Baykonur cosmodrome. The Express series will replace the currently orbiting Gorizont series of geostationaries and has a 12-channel capability instead of the eight channels in Gorizont.

1994-066A

Okean 01 is a Russian/Ukrainian oceanic/meteorological spacecraft that was launched from Plesetsk cosmodrome by a Tsiklon rocket at 13:30 UT. This may be one of the last of the Tsiklon launches since it uses highly toxic fuel. Initial orbital parameters were period 82.5 min, apogee 663 km, perigee 628 km, and inclination 97.6 deg.

1994-065B

THAICOM 2 is a Thailand geostationary communications spacecraft that was launched by an Ariane 4 rocket at 01:07 UT from Kourou in French Guiana. The 600 kg spacecraft carries ten transponders in C-band and two in Ku-band. It is expected to serve Thailand and neighboring regions.

1994-065A

Solidaridad 2 is a Mexican geostationary communications spacecraft that was launched by an Ariane 4 rocket from Kourou in French Guiana at 01:07 UT. The 1600 kg, 2,500 Watt spacecraft carries 18 transponders in C-band with a total 35-channel capability in the C-, L-, and Ku-bands.

1994-064A

INTELSAT 703 is a geostationary communications spacecraft that was launched from Cape Canaveral by an Atlas 2As rocket at 06:35 UT. The 4,000 kg spacecraft carries 26 C-band and ten Ku-band transponders that can sustain more than 18,000 simultaneous two-way telephone calls and three TV channels for countries in the northern Pacific basin.

1994-063A

Soyuz TM-20, a Russian spacecraft, was launched from Baykonur cosmodrome to transport a crew of Russian/European cosmonauts and experimental apparatus to the Mir station. Automatic docking proved troublesome for several minutes, and the module had to be coaxed manually by the crew commander to dock. Initial orbital parameters were period 89.8 min, apogee 305 km, perigee 228 km, and inclination 51.6 deg.

1994-062A

STS 68 is a U.S.A. shuttle that was launched from Cape Canaveral. It carried the Space Radar Laboratory (SRL) containing SIR-C, a dual polarization radar at C- and L-bands, X-SAR, an X-band vertical polarization radar, and MAPS, an infrared sensor for measurement of air pollution. Initial orbital parameters were period 88.9 min, apogee 226 km, perigee 213 km, and inclination 57.0 deg.

1994-061A

Cosmos 2292 is a Russian military spacecraft that was launched from Plesetsk cosmodrome by a Cosmos-3M rocket at 13:00 UT. Initial orbital parameters were period 108.6 min, apogee 1,973 km, perigee 408 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           256           2-21       2-12        2-15        2-04
     B           316           2-18       2-07        2-02        2-22
     C            16           2-24       2-13        2-19        2-20
     D            76           2-11       2-09        2-05        2-23
     E           136           2-01       2-08        2-03        2-10
     F           196           2-16       2-14        2-06        2-17
   
   

3. Russian Global Navigational (Positioning) Spacecraft, GLONASS constellation. To see a list select here.

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

   Designations         Common Name                    1994
   
   1994-051B (23212)    R/B MOLNIYA 3-46              23 Oct
   1994-067B (23320)    R/B EXPRESS 1                 16 Oct
   1994-062A (23285)    STS 68           Landed on    11 Oct
   1994-048B (23195)    R/B COSMOS 2286               08 Oct
   1994-063B (23289)    R/B SOYUZ TM-20               06 Oct
   1994-052A (23215)    PROGRESS M-24                 04 Oct
   1994-006C (22991)    ODERACS B                     04 Oct
   1994-006B (22990)    ODERACS A                     02 Oct
   1994-042A (23182)    COSMOS 2283                   29 Sep
   1994-022B (23052)    R/B GOES 8                    28 Sep
   
   

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

   NSSDC/WDC-A-R&S is an archival center for science data from many spacecraft. Some data are on line for electronic access. Please contact Request Office, NSSDC, Code 633, NASA/GSFC, Greenbelt, Maryland, 20771, U.S.A., for specific information.

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