SPACEWARN Bulletin Number 494

SPACEWARN Activities

A. List of New International Designations and Launch Dates.

1994-083A (23431) Cosmos 2298  Dec 20    -079A (23413) ORION        Nov 29
    -082A (23427) LUCH         Dec 16    -078A (23411) GEO-IK       Nov 24
    -081A (23420) Molniya 1-88 Dec 14    -077A (23404) Cosmos 2297  Nov 24
    -080A (23415) DFH 3        Nov 29

B. Text of Launch Announcements.

1994-083A

Cosmos 2298, a Russian military spacecraft, was launched from Plesetsk cosmodrome by a Cosmos-3M rocket at 05:11 UT. Initial orbital parameters were period 100.8 min, apogee 804 km, perigee 780 km, and inclination 74.03 deg.

1994-082A

LUCH, a Russian geostationary communications spacecraft, was launched from Baykonur cosmodrome by a Proton rocket. Besides relaying messages to and from Mir station, the two ton spacecraft will monitor and relay general distress and rescue calls from its parking longitude of 95 deg E. Initial orbital parameters were period 23 hr, 52 min; altitude 35,708 km; and inclination 2.5 deg.

1994-081A

Molniya 1-88, also known as Molniya 1-T, is a Russian communications spacecraft that was launched from Plesetsk Airfield near Arkhangelsk to provide telephone and television connections to the far-north public in general and the Air Force in particular. Initial orbital parameters were period 11 hr, 42 min; apogee 39,155 km; perigee 462 km; and inclination 62.4 deg.

1994-080A

DFH-3, also known as DONG FANG HONG-3, is a P.R.C. geostationary communications spacecraft of 2.6 ton mass that was launched by a Long March 3A rocket from Xichang launch site at 17:02 UT.

1994-079A

ORION 1, a German geostationary spacecraft, was launched from Cape Canaveral by an Atlas rocket. It carried 34 Ku band transponders for TV channels. Initial orbital parameters were period 23 hr, 58 min; apogee 36,022 km; perigee 35,621 km; and inclination 3.0 deg.

1994-078A

GEO-IK, a Russian spacecraft, was launched from Plesetsk cosmodrome by a Tsiklon-3 booster at 02:54 UT. It is intended to carry out geodesic survey of the earth. It also carried an experimental RELEKONS positioning equipment to monitor movements of land and sea transportations, to optimize and increase efficiency. Initial orbital parameters were period 116 min, apogee 1,524 km, perigee 1,477 km, and inclination 73.6 deg.

1994-077A

Cosmos 2297, a Russian military spacecraft, was launched from Baykonur cosmodrome by a Zenit-2 rocket at 09:16 UT. Initial orbital parameters were period 102 min, apogee 879 km, perigee 851 km, and inclination 71 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           255           2-21       2-12        2-15        2-04
     B           315           2-18       2-07        2-02        2-22
     C            16           2-24       2-13        2-19        2-20
     D            78           2-11       2-09        2-05        2-23
     E           138           2-01       2-08        2-03        2-10
     F           195           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
   
   1994-082B (23427)    R/B LUCH                       19 Dec
   1993-018A (22585)    COSMOS 2238                    08 Dec
   1994-076D (23399)    R/B COSMOS 2294-2296           20 Nov
   
   

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 the 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