SPACEWARN Bulletin Number 496

SPACEWARN Activities

A. List of New International Designations and Launch Dates.

1995 006A (23497) PHOTON 10     Feb 16
1995 005A (23477) PROGRESS M-26 Feb 15
1995 004G (23475) ODERACS 2E    Feb 04
1995 004F (23474) ODERACS 2D    Feb 04
1995 004E (23473) ODERACS 2C    Feb 04
1995 004D (23472) ODERACS 2B    Feb 04
1995 004C (23471) ODERACS 2A    Feb 04
1995 004B (23470) SPARTAN 204   Feb 07
1995 004A (23469) STS 63        Feb 03
1995 003A (23467) USA 108       Jan 29

B. Text of Launch Announcements.

1995-006

PHOTON 10 is the tenth in the Russian research series of satellites that was launched from Plesetsk cosmodrome by a Soyuz-V rocket at 23:40 UT. The 15 day mission carried "KASHTAN", "ZONA", "SPLAV", "BIOBOX", "IBIS" instruments for zero-gravity material, and biotechnological experiments. The spacecraft mass is 6,300 kg, and the retrievable experiment module has a mass of 2250 kg. Initial orbital parameters were period 94 min, apogee 391 km, perigee 228 km, and inclination 62.8 deg.

1995-005

PROGRESS M-26 is a Russian automatic cargo ship that was launched from Baykonur cosmodrome at 16:48 UT to dock with MIR station and deliver over two tons of supplies. It docked with MIR at 00:21 UT on the 18th February. Pre-docking orbital parameters were period 89.83 min, apogee 295 km, perigee 238 km, and inclination 51.65 deg.

1995-004G, 004F, 004E, 004D, 004C

ODERACS 2E, ODERACS 2D, ODERACS 2C, ODERACS 2B, and ODERACS 2A are USA miniobjects that were released from STS 63 on 4 February, 95 at about 04:57 UT. These Orbital DEbris RAdar Calibration Spheres are a few centimeters in diameter, and are intended to provide calibration for radar echoes. Initial orbital parameters were period 91 min, apogee 336 km, perigee 314 km, and inclination 51.6 deg.

1995-004B

SPARTAN 204 was a free flying payload that was released from space shuttle STS 63 on 7 February, at 12:57 UT. It made about 40 hours of observation of Galactic dust clouds using a Far Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph before being retrieved on 9 February. Initial orbital parameters were close to those of STS 63.

1995-004A

STS 63, a USA space shuttle was launched from Cape Canveral at 00:30 UT. It carried the Spacehab module containing microgravity experimental apparatus; it released and recaptured a free-flying SPARTAN 204 spacecraft. Despite a thruster leak from the shuttle, STS 63 was finally allowed to come close to the MIR station, within about twelve meters, as a prelude to a planned docking in the future. Initial orbital parameters were period 91 min, apogee 342 km, perigee 310 km, and inclination 51.6 deg.

1995-003A

USA 108, the Navy's fourth geosynchronous UHF communications spacecraft, was launched by an Atlas 2 rocket from Cape Canaveral AFS. The spacecraft will be triaxially stabilized.

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
   
   1995-005B (23478)  R/B PROGRESS M-26                17 Feb
   1994-075A (23348)  PROGRESS M-25                    16 Feb
   1994-006H (22998)  BREMSAT                          12 Feb
   1995-004A (23469)  STS 63                           11 Feb
   1995-004B (23470)  SPARTAN 204 retrieved to STS 63  09 Feb
   1985-004A (15476)  MOLNIYA 3-23                     05 Dec, 94
   1979-091D (11602)  R/B MOLNIYA 1-45                 14 Oct, 94
   
   

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.)

   USSR/RUSSIAN Launches: According to ITAR-TASS agency, USSR and Russia have launched from 1957 to 22 February, 1995 a total of 2,656 rocket sets carrying satellites; 142 of the launches failed, and 47 were only partially successfull (meaning wrong orbits). The number of successfully launched payload satellites were 2,914, with an additional 62 in wrong orbits. Launches from Plesetsk cosmodrome amounted to 55% of the total launches, and 62% of successful satellites.

   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