SPACEWARN Bulletin Number 532

SPACEWARN Activities

A. List of New International Designations and Launch Dates.

    1998-014A (25239) INTELSAT 806    28 Feb      1998-009A (25167) Cosmos 2349     17 Feb
    1998-013A (25237) HOT BIRD 4      27 Feb      1998-008D (25165) GLOBAL STAR L-2 14 Feb
    1998-012B (25234) BATSAT          26 Feb      1998-008C (25164) GLOBAL STAR L-1 14 Feb
    1998-012A (25233) SNOE            26 Feb      1998-008B (25163) GLOBAL STAR U-2 14 Feb
    1998-011A (25175) COMETS          21 Feb      1998-008A (25162) GLOBAL STAR U-1 14 Feb
    1998-010E (25173) IRIDIUM 54      18 Feb      1998-007C (25159) ORBCOMM FM-4    10 Feb
    1998-010D (25172) IRIDIUM 53      18 Feb      1998-007B (25158) ORBCOMM FM-3    10 Feb
    1998-010C (25171) IRIDIUM 52      18 Feb      1998-007A (25157) GFO             10 Feb
    1998-010B (25170) IRIDIUM 56      18 Feb      1998-006B (25153) INMARSAT 3F5    04 Feb
    1998-010A (25169) IRIDIUM 50      18 Feb      1998-006A (25152) BRASILSAT B-3   04 Feb

B. Text of Launch Announcements.

1998-014A

INTELSAT 806 is a geosynchronous communications spacecraft of that 142-nation consortium that was launched by an Atlas 2AS rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Station at 00:21 UT. The 4,000 kg spacecraft is the latest member of the current INTELSAT fleet, now totalling 26 spacecraft. It will be parked over the Atlantic ocean enabling voice and vedeo communications to Europe and the American countries by means of its 28 C-band, and six Ku-band transponders after parking at 40 deg-W longitude.

1998-013A

HOT BIRD 4 is a geostationary communications spacecraft of the EUTELSAT consortium that was launched by an Ariane 42P rocket from Kourou. The 2,885 kg spacecraft will enable voice and video communications to the European nations after parking at 13 deg-E longitude.

1998-012B

BATSAT (Broadband Advanced Technology SATellite) is an American communications satellite that was launched at 07:05 by a Pegasus XL rocket carried aboard an L1011 cargo plane flying out of Vandenberg AFB. The 120 kg test satellite was later renamed as T1 (shorter version for Teledesic 1). It may be the first spacecraft to carry a Ka-band transponder in low Earth orbit. The Teledesic constellation known as "Internet-in-the-sky" may consist of 288 mini-satellites in low Earth orbit. Initial orbital parameters were period 95.8 min, apogee 580 km, perigee 535 km, and inclination 97.7 deg.

1998-012A

SNOE (Student Nitric Oxide Explorer) is an American research spacecraft that was launched at 07:05 UT by a Pegasus XL rocket carried aboard a L1011 cargo plane flying out of Vandenberg AFB. The 125 kg mini-satellite, built by the faculty and students of the University of Colorado, Boulder, carries instruments to monitor the stratospheric ozone, auroral UV (2-bands), and solar x-rays (5-bands). Initial orbital parameters were period 95.8 min, apogee 580 km, perigee 535 km, and inclination 97.7 deg.

1998-011A

COMETS (COMmunications and broadcast Engineering Test) is a Japanese test spacecraft that was launched by an H-2 rocket from Yoshinobu launch pad in southern Japan at 07:55 UT. A malfunction in the second stage resulted in an orbit well short of geostationary. It was designed to be a relaying satellite between ground stations and orbiting satellites. Initial orbital parameters were period 106.5 min, apogee 1,882 km, perigee 249 km, and inclination 30.0 deg.

1998-010E, 1998-010D, 1998-010C, 1998-010B, 1998-010A

IRIDIUM 54, IRIDIUM 53, IRIDIUM 52, IRIDIUM 56, and IRIDIUM 50 are American low altitude communications spacecraft that were launched by a Delta 2 rocket from Vandenberg AFB at 15:38 UT. These five join the constellation of previously launched 46 IRIDIUMs which enable mobile phones to reach out beyond the area of cellular networks. Initial orbital parameters were similar: period 97.4 min, apogee 643 km, perigee 625 km, and inclination 86.5 deg

1998-009A

Cosmos 2349 is a Russian military photographic (2-meter resolution) spacecraft that was launched by a Soyuz-U rocket from Baykonur at 10:35 UT. It is to provide topographic map of the USA in accordance with a Russian-American contract. Initial orbital parameters were period 89.2 min, apogee 293 km, perigee 204 km, and inclination 70.6 deg.

1998-008D, 1998-008C, 1998-008B, 1998-008A

GLOBAL STAR L-2, GLOBAL STAR L-1, GLOBAL STAR U-2, and GLOBAL STAR U-1 are communications spacecraft of that international consortium that were launched by a Delta 2 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Station at 14:34 UT. It will enable remote or mobile telephones to reach out to anywhere in the world. Initial orbital parameters of all four were similiar: period 110.5 min, apogee 1,258 km, perigee 1,245 km, and inclination 52.0 deg.

1998-007C, 1998-007B

ORBCOMM FM-4 and ORBCOMM FM-3 are American low altitude communications spacecraft that were launched by a Taurus rocket from Vandenberg AFB at 13:20 UT. These ORBCOMM FM fleet of satellites enable global voice and data links to/from fixed or mobile industrial sites such as oil rigs, cargo trucks and ships. Initial orbital parameters were period 101.5 min, apogee 878 km, perigee 784 km, and inclination 108.0

1998-007A

GFO (Geosat Follow On) is an American military spacecraft that was launched by a Taurus rocket from Vandenberg AFB at 13:20 UT. The 410 kg satellite carries a radio altimeter and a water vapor radiometer to measure sea levels and glacial heights. Initial orbital parameters were period 101.4 min, apogee 878 km, perigee 775 km, and inclination 108.0 deg.

1998-006B

INMARSAT 3F5 is a geosynchronous communications spacecraft of that international consortium that was launched by an Ariane 4 rocket from Kourou at 23:29 UT. It will enable communications among maritime vehicles in the Atlantic and its shores.

1998-006A

BRASILSAT B3 is a Brazilian geosynchronous communications spacecraft that was launched by an Ariane 4 rocket from Korou at 23:29 UT. It carries 28 C-band transponders to provide voice and video communications to Brazil and other countries, after parking at 70 deg-W longitude.

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.

   The last full list appeared as a part of SPX 520. The list will reappear only after major updates to the list are available.

   METEOSAT 3 in that list is no longer operational.

2. Global Positioning System satellites useful for navigational purposes and geodetic studies. ("NNN" denotes no national name. SPACEWARN would appreciate suggestions to update this list. An asterisk [*] denotes changes in this issue.)

   High precision (<20 cm) GPS constellation tracking data obtained from the network of about 80 dedicated global stations that are of interest to geodetic study may be obtained through the following services provided by the International Association of Geodesy (IGS)

        FTP:    igscb.jpl.nasa.gov  [directory /igscb]
        WWW:    http://igscb.jpl.nasa.gov/
        E-mail: igscb@cobra.jpl.nasa.gov
   

   The standard format of the GPS situation appeared in SPX-518. It will not be repeated since an excellent source of trajectory- and science-related GPS information is at http://www.utexas.edu/depts/grg/gcraft/notes/gps/gps.html#DODSystem It provides many links to GPS related databases.

   The latest member of the GPS fleet is NAVSTAR 38 (1997-067A), launched on 6 November 1997.

3. Russian Global Navigational (Positioning) Spacecraft, GLONASS constellation. (SPACEWARN requests updates/additions from readers to this list. Entries marked "*" are updates or additions to the list.)

   All GLONASS spacecraft are in the general COSMOS series. The COSMOS numbers (nnnn) invoked by USSPACECOM have often differed from the numbers (NNNN) associated in Russia; when different, the USSPACECOM COSMOS numbers are shown in parentheses. The corresponding GLONASS numbers are Russian numbers, followed by the numbers in parentheses that are sometimes attributed to them outside Russia.

   The operating frequencies in MHz are computed from the channel number K. Frequencies (MHz) = 1602.0 + 0.5625K and L2 = 1246.0 + 0.4375K.

   The standard format of the GLONASS situation appeared in SPX-515. It will not be repeated in view of the excellent updated source at: http://www.rssi.ru/SFCSIC/glonass.html maintained by the Coordinational Scientific Information Center (CSIC),Russian Space Forces.

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

   Designations       Common Name                         1998
   
   1998-009B  (25168) R/B SOYUZ-U                        21 Feb
   1997-038A  (24886) SOYUZ TM-26                        19 Feb
   1981-054A  (12512) MOLNIYA 3-16                       10 Feb
   1998-004B  (25147) R/B SOYUZ-U                        31 Jan
   

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). Information on the current status of the instruments on board from the investigators will be most welcomed. 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.) It can also be accessed via the WWW at:
   http://sscop1.gsfc.nasa.gov/ssc.html

   This URL also enables executing several codes related to the orbits of many geocentric science payload spacecraft. The codes related to the heliospheric spacecraft trjectories can be executed through:
   http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/space/helios/heli.html

   Magnetospheric, Planetary, and Astronomical science data from many spacecraft may be accessed through links from the URL:
   http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/

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
V1.0, 04 March 1998
Last Updated: 17 April 1998, EVB II