SPACEWARN Bulletin Number 495

SPACEWARN Activities

A. List of New International Designations and Launch Dates.

1995-002C (23465) FAISAT       Jan 24    -086E (23445) Cosmos 2303  Dec 26
    -002B (23464) ASTRID       Jan 24    -086D (23444) Cosmos 2302  Dec 26
    -002A (23463) TSIKADA      Jan 24    -086C (23443) Cosmos 2301  Dec 26
    -001A (23461) INTELSAT 704 Jan 10    -086B (23442) Cosmos 2300  Dec 26
1994-089A (23455) NOAA 14      Dec 30    -086A (23441) Cosmos 2299  Dec 26
    -088A (23453) Cosmos 2305  Dec 29    -085A (23439) RADIO-RASTO  Dec 26
    -087A (23448) RADUGA 32    Dec 28    -084A (23435) USA 107      Dec 22
    -086F (23446) Cosmos 2304  Dec 26

B. Text of Launch Announcements.

1995-002C

FAISAT, a U.S.A. experimental communications microsatellite, was launched by a Cosmos-3M rocket from Plesetsk cosmodrome at 03:54 UT. Initial orbital parameters of the 115 kg spacecraft were period 105 min, apogee 1021 km, perigee 967 km, and inclination 82.9 deg.

1995-002B

ASTRID, a Swedish microsatellite of 26 kg, was launched by a Cosmos-3M rocket from Plesetsk cosmodrome at 03:54 UT. It carried three instruments (EMIL, MIO, and PIPPI) for measuring auroral plasma and for auroral imaging. Initial orbital parameters are period 105 min, apogee 1023 km, perigee 968 km, and inclination 82.9 deg.

1995-002A

TSIKADA, a Russian maritime navigational spacecraft, was launched by a Cosmos-3M rocket from Plesetsk cosmodrome at 03:54 UT. Initial orbital parameters were period 105 min, apogee 1031 km, perigee 982 km, and inclination 82.9 deg.

1995-001A

INTELSAT 704, a geostationary communications spacecraft of that consortium, was launched by an Atlas-2AS rocket from Cape Canaveral. It will be parked over the Indian Ocean to provide radio and TV coverages to Middle-East, Africa, and parts of Europe.

1994-089A

NOAA 14 is a U.S.A. weather spacecraft that was launched by an Atlas-E rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base. It will replace NOAA 11 whose cloud cover imaging instrument had failed a few months ago. Besides an imaging radiometer, it carries optical sounders to monitor temperature and moisture content in the atmosphere, and counters to measure energetic electrons and protons. Initial parameters of the Sun-synchronous orbit are period 102 min, apogee 858 km, perigee 845 km, and inclination 98.9 deg.

1994-088A

Cosmos 2305, a Russian military spacecraft, was launched from Baykonur cosmodrome by a Soyuz-U rocket at 11:31 UT. Initial orbital parameters are period 89.2 min, apogee 306 km, perigee 189 km, and inclination 64.9 deg.

1994-087A

RADUGA 32 is a Russian geostationary communications spacecraft that was launched by a Proton-K rocket from Baykonur cosmodrome at 11:31 UT for eventual parking at 70 deg E-longitude. (In some Russian institutions the spacecraft is noted as RADUGA (32))

1994-086F, -086E, -086D, -086C, -086B, -086A

Cosmos 2304, Cosmos 2303, Cosmos 2302, Cosmos 2301, Cosmos 2300, and Cosmos 2299 were launched by a Tsiklon-3 rocket from Plesetsk cosmodrome at 22:27 UT. They are low orbiting military communications spacecraft with initial orbital parameters of period 114.2 min, apogee 1442 km, perigee 1415 km, and inclination 82.6 deg.

1994-085A

RADIO-ROSTO is the 15th of the Russian amateur radio spacecraft; it was launched by a modified SS-19 missile from Baykonur cosmodrome at 03:00 UT. ROSTO is an acronym for Russian Defence, Sports, and Technical Organization. Initial orbital parameters are period 127 min, apogee 2165 km, perigee 1885 km, and inclination 64.6 deg.

1994-084A

USA 107 was launched.

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. The RAAN pertains to late December 1994 and changes by about 0.1 deg each month.

   PLANE    RAAN OF PLANE     SLOT-1     SLOT-2      SLOT-3      SLOT-4
   
     A           249           2-21       2-12        2-15        2-04
     B           309           2-18       2-07        2-02        2-22
     C            10           2-24       2-13        2-19        2-20
     D            71           2-11       2-09        2-05        2-23
     E           132           2-01       2-08        2-03        2-10
     F           190           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                    1995
   
   1994-081B (23421)    R/B MOLNIYA 1-88               14 Jan
   1994-088B (23454)    R/B COSMOS 2305                03 Jan
   1965-038B (01378)    R/B OPS 8386                   01 Jan
   1994-087B (23449)    R/B RADUGA 32                  31 Dec, 94
   1993-071A (22904)    COSMOS 2267                    28 Dec
   1994-055B (23228)    R/B OPTUS B2                   27 dec
   
   

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.)

   Vladimir Agapov of the Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics, Moscow (Russia) has informed us that OKEAN-01 spacecraft in SPX 492 should be corrected to read as OKEAN-O1, and RESURS-01 in SPX 493 as RESURS-O1.

   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