SPACEWARN Bulletin Number 498

SPACEWARN Activities

A. List of New International Designations and Launch Dates.

1995-020A (23555) PROGRESS M-24 Apr 09
1995-019A (23553) MSAT          Apr 07
1995-018A (23549) OFEQ 3        Apr 05
1995-017C (23547) MICROLAB 1    Apr 03
1995-017B (23546) ORBCOMM FM2   Apr 03
1995-017A (23545) ORBCOMM FM1   Apr 03
1995-016B (23537) HOT BIRD 1    Mar 28
1995-016A (23536) BRASILSAT-B2  Mar 28
1995-015A (23533) USA 109       Mar 24

B. Text of Launch Announcements.

1995-020A

PROGRESS M-24, a Russian cargo spacecraft was launched by a Soyuz-U (-V ?) rocket from Baykonur cosmodrome at 19:34 UT to dock with and transfer 2.4 tonnes of supplies to the MIR space station; it docked at 21:01 UT on April 11. Initial orbital parameters were period 88.6 min, apogee 242 km, perigee 193 km, and inclination 51.6 deg.

1995-019A

MSAT is an American spacecraft. No information on the payload is available. Initial orbital parameters were period 721 min, apogee 20,334 km, perigee 20,176 km, and inclination 26.4 deg.

1995-018A

OFEQ 3 is an Israeli surveillance satellite that was launched westward by a Shavit launcher at 11:16 UT from the Palmahim launch site. Initial orbital parameters of the 189 kg/180 W spacecraft were period 95.6 min, apogee 729 km, perigee 367 km, and inclination 143.3 deg.

1995-017C

MICROLAB 1 is an American minisatellite that was launched by a Pegasus rocket carried aloft by an L-1011 aircraft flying out of Vandenberg AFB. The main instrument is a global lightning mapper; the other is a radio receiver to monitor the transmission from any GPS spacecraft that appears near the horizon and to infer temperature and humidity in its path. Initial orbital parameters were period 99.6 min, apogee 747 km, perigee 734 km, and inclination 69.9 deg.

1995-017B, 1995-017A

ORBCOMM FM2 and ORBCOMM FM1 are American minisatellites that were launched by the same Pegasus rocket which launched the MICROLAB 1. The main payload is a transponder to relay the GPS-determined locations of cargo trucks, and data from oil pipeline monitors. Both spacecraft are currently experiencing transmission or reception problems; efforts are underway to remedy the problems. The initial orbital parameters were period 99.6 min, apogee 747 km, perigee 734 km, and inclination 69.9 deg.

1995-016B

HOT BIRD 1 is a geostationary communications spacecraft of the European EUTELSAT consortium that was launched along with BRASILSAT-B2. After parking at 13-E longitude, it will provide live television (only) coverage to the European and Mediteranean countries.

1995-016A

BRASILSAT-B2 is a Brazilian geostationary communications spacecraft that was launched by an Ariane rocket from Kourou, French Guiana, at 23:14 UT. After parking at 65-W longitude, the 1,780 kg spacecraft will provide telephone, television, and data transmission services to Brazil and its southern neighbors by means of 24 C-Band and several X-Band transponders.

1995-015A

USA 109, better known as DMSP/F13, is an American science/military spacecraft that was launched from Vandenberg AFB by an Atlas-E rocket at 14:05 UT. It carries the same set of instruments that have been carried in the earlier DMSPs: imaging photometers, electron/ion flux monitors, and others. Initial orbital parameters were period 101.9 min, apogee 851 km, perigee 845 km, and inclination 98.8 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 about 60 deg apart. Each plane has four "slots." Following are the 2-NN members in the planes/slots. The RAAN decreases by about 1.0 deg each month; below are their 30 March longitudes.

   PLANE    RAAN OF PLANE     SLOT-1     SLOT-2      SLOT-3      SLOT-4
   
     A           245           2-21       2-12        2-15        2-04
     B           305           2-18       2-07        2-02        2-22
     C             6           2-24       2-13        2-19        2-20
     D            69           2-11       2-09        2-05        2-23
     E           129           2-01       2-08        2-03        2-10
     F           186           2-16       2-14        2-06        2-17
   
   

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

   The GLONASS NNN series orbit in three distinct planes that are 120 deg apart. Each plane has eight "slots". Following are the members of the planes/slots.

          Plane1               Plane2              Plane3
   slot1   771         slot 9              slot17   760
   slot2   757         slot10              slot18   758
   slot3   763         slot11              slot19   777
   slot4   762         slot12   767        slot20   765
   slot5   249         slot13              slot21   756
   slot6   764         slot14   770        slot22   766
   slot7   759         slot15              slot23   761
   slot8   769         slot16   775        slot24   774
   
   

   Coordinational Scientific Information Center(CSIC) Russian Space Forces
   E-mail: sfcsic@iki3.bitnet; sfcsic@iki3.iki.rssi.ru; sfcsic@mx.iki.rssi.ru
   Home page WWW.IKI: http://www.rssi.ru/SFCSIC/SFCSIC_main.html

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

   Designations         Common Name                    1995
   
   1994-063A (23288)  SOYUZ TM-20                      22 Mar
   1994-028B (23102)  R/B MSTI 2                       20 Mar
   1995-007A (23500)  STS 67             Landed on     18 Mar
   1993-029A (22643)  COSMOS 2244                      18 Mar
   1995-005A (23477)  PROGRESS M-26                    15 Mar
   1995-006B (23498)  R/B FOTON 10                     12 Mar
   1994-025A (23095)  COSMOS 2280                      10 Mar
   1994-006F (22994)  ODERACS E                        03 Mar
   1995-006A (23497)  FOTON 10                         03 Mar
   1995-004F (23474)  ODERACS 2D                       02 Mar
   1992-007B (21868)  R/B JERS                         28 Feb
   1995-004G (23473)  ODERACS 2E                       27 Feb
   1994-006G (22995)  ODERACS F                        24 Feb
   1983-073A (14199)  MOLNIYA 1-58                     23 Feb
   
   

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 NSSDC Request Coordination Office, Code 633, NASA/GSFC, Greenbelt, Maryland, 20771, U.S.A., for specific information (REQUEST@NSSDCA.GSFC.NASA.GOV). Precomputed trajectory files and orbital parameters of many magnetospheric and heliospheric science-payload spacecraft may be FTP'ed from NSSDC's ANON_DIR:[000000.ACTIVE] and its several subdirectories. (See About the SPACEWARN Bulletin for access method; a file in the ACTIVE directory named AAREADME.DOC, outlines the contents.)

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