Navstar 46

 1999-055A

---

SV06 (SVN46) was GPS Block IIR flight 3, launched to slot D2.

GPS
Date	Time	Event	Orbit
1999 Oct 7	1251:01	Launch by Delta 7925-9.5	CC LC17A
		T+1:03 SRM 1-6 out
		T+1:05 SRM 7-9 on
		T+1:06 SRM 1-6 sep
		T+2:12 SRM 7-9 sep
		T+4:25 MECO
		T+4:39 SES1
		T+4:55 PLF sep
	1301	T+10:48 SECO1	88.27 175 x 201 x 36.9 (s)
			174 x 180 x 36.9
	1353	T+1:02:34 SES2
	1354	T+1:03:15 SECO2	98.12 187 x 1149 x 37.2 (s)
	1355	T+1:04:05 St 2 sep	97.98 181 x 1142 x 37.22
	1355	T+1:04:44 TES
	1357	T+1:06:09 TECO	357.92 192 x 20448 x 39.0 (s)
	1358	T+1:08:05 St 3 sep

STS-51-C (Discovery)

 1985-010A

---

51-C was the first classified mission. No details of the flight were given between ET separation and entry interface. It was thought that both OMS-1 and OMS-2 burns were made, although the mission events list does not include an OMS-1.

If there was an OMS-1, we may conjecture magnitudes similar to other OMS-1/2 burn pairs at around 55-75m/s; I give 4 cases below labelled A to E. The ET impacted further west than on any other mission and so we can assume a lower ET trajectory; case A is not a bad fit to the available data, although the ET impact zone may indicate an even larger OMS-1 burn such as case E.

Available orbital data also shows that an 11m/s OMS-3 burn was made, presumably following payload deployment. AWST reported deployment around 1200 UTC on Jan 25, but the orbital data suggests the OMS-3 burn came at southbound equator crossing around 0656 UTC, with a corresponding deployment at 0645 UTC and IUS SRM-1 burn at northbound equator crossing at 0740 UTC. If the AWST report of 16hr MET deployment is correct, the OMS burn was made before deployment, and the corresponding northbound equator crossing IUS burn is at 1215 UTC with deployment at 1120 UTC. It is then puzzling that there is no evidence of a sep burn.

STS 51-C mission events
Date	Time	Event	Orbit
1984 Dec 21		Roll to VAB/1
1984 Dec 21		ET mate
1985 Jan 5		Rollout	LC39A
1985 Jan 24	1950:00	Launch from LC39A
	1952:07	SRB sep
	1958:32	MECO
	1958:49	ET sep
		A (Assume 75m/s OMS-1, 75m/s OMS-2)	86.07 1 x 157 x 28.5
		B (Assume 65m/s OMS-1, 75m/s OMS-2)	86.40 21 x 169 x 28.5
		C (Assume 55m/s OMS-1, 75m/s OMS-2)	86.73 38 x 185 x 28.5
		D (Assume 65m/s OMS-1, 65m/s OMS-2)	86.73 43 x 181 x 28.5
		E (Assume 80m/s OMS-1, 75m/s OMS-2)	86.07 -10 x 152 x 28.5
	2000	OMS-1 (?)
		(Assume 65m/s OMS-2)	88.93 114 x 328 x 28.5
		(Assume 75m/s OMS-2)	88.69 81 x 328 x 28.5
	2017	ET apogee (case A)
	2000:46	OMS-2	91.18 327 x 337 x 28.5
	2003:47	OMS-2 CO
	2036	ET breakup at 69km
	2220:48	PLBD open
1985 Jan 25	0004		91.23 332 x 337 x 28.5
	0515		91.33 336 x 342 x 28.5
	0635	probable USA-8 deploy
	0651:56	OMS-3, sep?	91.64 334 x 375 x 28.5
	0652:19	OMS-3 CO
	0740	IUS burn, eq crossing N
	1120	Alternate USA-8 deploy (AWST)
	1215	Alternate IUS burn (AWST)
1985 Jan 27	0010		91.66 335 x 376 x 28.5
	1744:06	PLBD closed
	2016:00	OMS DO	88.40 29 x 360 x 28.5
	2019:13	OMS DO CO
	2052:29	Entry
	2123:23	Landed RW15 KSC
	2123:35	NGTD
	2124:15	Wheels stop
1985 Jan 28	0250	Tow to OPF

Explorer 4

  1958-005

---

Explorer IV was launched on 1958 Jul 26 by Juno I from Cape Canaveral into a 110.2 min, 263 x 2213 km x 50.3 deg orbit. Its mission was to study both the natural radiation belts at high latitudes and the effects of the Argus high altitude nuclear explosions. It transmitted until Sep 19 and reentered on 1959 Oct 23.

Mass was 16.8 kg, including 11.7 kg for the satellite and 5.1 kg for the motor. The higher mass required a lower injection altitude and higher inclination.

The JPL Cluster used improved propellants in the third and fourth stages. The intended orbit was much more eccentric than previous launches, and used a different inclination. The intended orbit had been 288 x 2824 km x 50.8 deg.

Explorer 4
Date	Time	Event	Orbit
1958 Jul 26	1500:57	Launch by Juno I	CC LC5
		T+2:33 MECO
		T+2:40? Redstone sep
		T+6:02 Stage 2 burn
		T+6:10 Stage 2 cutoff
		T+6:10 Stage 3 burn
		T+6:18 Stage 3 cutoff	-3052 x 287
		T+6:18 Stage 4 burn
	1507:23	T+6:26 Stage 4 cutoff	257 x 2233 x 50.4
		T+10:58 Redstone impact 1475 km
		T+11:36 Stage 2 impact 2086 km
		T+13:36 Stage 3 impact 3317 km
1959 Apr 24			100.99 258 x 1352 x 50.2
1959 Jul 17			98.02 246 x 1080 x 50.3
1959 Oct 2			92.81 239 x 584 x 50.2

Gambit-3 49

 1977-094A

---

KH-8 flight 49 (GAMBIT 4349) was launched on 1977 Sep 23 by Titan 23B Agena D from Vandenberg and operated until Dec 8.

KH-8 49
Date	Time	Event	Orbit
1977 Sep 23	1834	Launch by Titan 23B Agena D	V SLC4W
	1836	Titan stage 1 sep
	1839	Titan stage 2 sep
	1839	Agena burn
	1844?	Agena MECO
	1932		88.75 119 x 305 x 96.53
	2101		89.14 129 x 334 x 96.49
1977 Sep 24	0129		89.19 134 x 334 x 96.49
1977 Sep 26	0405		89.25 123 x 351 x 96.49
1977 Sep 28			89.16 122 x 343 x 96.47
1977 Oct 10			89.26 122 x 353 x 96.48
1977 Oct 20			89.20 121 x 348 x 96.49
1977 Oct 30			89.36 124 x 361 x 96.49
1977 Oct 31			89.17 121 x 345 x 96.49
1977 Nov 2		SRV-1 deorbit (fiducial)
1977 Nov 10			89.24 120 x 352 x 96.48
1977 Nov 17			89.31 125 x 354 x 96.48
1977 Nov 25			89.26 126 x 349 x 96.50
1977 Dec 4	0416?	Last orbit raise	89.33 123 x 358 x 96.50
	2112?	SRV-2 deorbit opp
1977 Dec 5		SRV-2 deorbit after 73 days
1977 Dec 7	2253		88.72 125 x 296 x 96.48
1977 Dec 8		reentered

Kosmos 2350

 1998-025A

---

Kosmos-2350 was launched by Proton on 1998 Apr 29. M. Tarasenko suggested it is a second generation geostationary early warning satellite. DM-2 (DM-2M?) burn was on the second rev.

Kosmos-2350
Date	Time	Event	Orbit
1998 Apr 29	0437	Launch by Proton-K	KB
	0442	Stage 3 burn
	0448	Stage 3 sep
		Adapter sep	88.3 184 x 196 x 51.6
	0555?	Blok DM-2 burn	635.1 213 x 35977 x 49.2
	1112	Blok DM-2 burn 2
	1130?	Blok DM-2 sep
1998 May 20			1436.22 35768 x 35809 x 2.3 GEO 80.4E
1998 Jun 30			1436.23 35778 x 35800 x 2.2 GEO 79.4E
1998 Jul 6		prop leak, moved to reserve
1998 Aug 26			1436.29 35785 x 35795 x 2.1 GEO 77.1E+0.06W
1998 Dec 28			1436.25 35763 x 35815 x 1.8 GEO 71.2E+0.05W
1999 Oct 17			1435.89 35762 x 35802 x 1.2 GEO 75.3E+0.05E

Reaching for the stars : the illustrated history of manned spaceflight

 https://welib.org/md5/b4141e2d48cd479d7636af1a10965e23

Shooting for the Moon

https://welib.org/md5/e48011949fbd069639543796e588661b

GOES 4

 1980-074A

---

The first of the Hughes-built GOES satellites, GOES D, became Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite 04 on reaching orbit. The launch on 1980 Sep 9 at 2227 from Launch Complex 17A at Cape Canaveral used the more powerful Delta 3914 model. The third stage Star 37E motor separated at 2250 leaving GOES 4 in transfer orbit. On Sep 10, the solid TE-M-616 motor fired to place GOES 4 in a 34100 x 49550 km orbit. The eccentric orbit was a compromise due to use of the small Star 27 motor. After ejection of the solid motor, GOES 4 fired its thrusters to complete circularization of the orbit and by Sep 20 was on station at 98 deg W. It was delivered from NASA to NOAA on 1980 Oct 21, but trouble soon struck with the failure of the S-band communications antenna. On 1981 Jan 27 it was moved out of the 98W location and reached the operational GOES W location of 135W on Feb 26, replacing GOES 3. From Apr to Jun 1985 it drifted eastward to 10W, where it briefly took over data relay functions from ESA's Meteosat 1. It was later stored at 44W until 1988 Nov 9, when its orbit was raised 100 km to move it out of the geostationary ring.

GOES 4
Date	Time	Event	Orbit
1980 Sep 9	2227	Launch by Delta 3914
		T+0:57 SRM 1-5 out
		T+1:04 SRM 6-9 on
		T+2:01 SRM 6-9 out
		T+2:07 SRM 6-9 sep
		T+3:44 MECO
		T+3:52 Stage 1 sep
		T+3:58 SES-1 4:17
		T+4:23 Fairing sep
	2235	T+8:15 SECO-1	157 x 208 x 28.73
	2247	T+20:14 SES-2 51s
	2248	T+21:05 SECO-2	164 x 2559 x 28.1
	2249	T+22:07 St 2 sep
	2249	T+22:49 TES 44s
	2250	T+23:33 TECO
	2251	T+24:42 Star 37E sep	920.54 166 x 49770 x 26.5
1980 Sep 10	0700?	Apo 1 over 52E
	2200?	Apo 2 over 174W
1980 Sep 11	1400?	Apo 3 over 52W
1980 Sep 11	1200	AKM burn 35s 1st apo?
		AKM ejected
1980 Sep 11			1759.96 34170 x 49646 x 0.3
1980 Sep 12	0500?	Apo 4 over 80E
	2000?	Apo 5 over 147W
1980 Sep 14			1504.28 34257 x 39964 x 0.3
1980 Sep 16		Sunshade cover ejected
1980 Sep 19			1438.79 35691 x 35987 x 0.3 GEO 90.9W+0.7W
1980 Sep 20		On station 98W
1980 Oct 3			1436.11 35773 x 35800 x 0.2 GEO 97.7W
1980 Oct 21		To NOAA
1980 Oct 21			98W
1980 Nov 18			1436.06 35772 x 35799 x 0.2 GEO 98.0W
1981 Jan 25			1436.06 35765 x 35806 x 0.0 GEO 97.3W
1981 Jan 27		mv out	98W
1981 Feb 26		Braking GOES W	135W
1981 Mar 3		mv in	1436.06 35775 x 35796 x 0.2 GEO 135.4W
1981 Apr 23	1630?	Stage 3 reenters	103 x 2490 x 26.5
1981 Jun 12			135W
1982 Jan 1			1436.06 35770 x 35801 x 0.0 GEO 134.8W
1982 Nov 25		Engineering tests
1983 Jan 9			1436.10 35727 x 35846 x 0.1 GEO 135.0W
1983 Apr 11			1436.16 35779 x 35796 x 0.5 GEO 136.8W
1983 May		Begin drift
1983 Jul 30			1436.13 35776 x 35797 x 0.8 GEO 143.5W+0.02W
1983 Sep 13			1435.89 35771 x 35793 x 0.8 GEO 142.5W+0.04E
1983 Dec 27		resume mv	1436.10 35776 x 35797 x 1.1 GEO 139.0W+0.05W
1984 Mar 25			1435.98 35774 x 35793 x 1.3 GEO 139.2W+0.02E
1985 Jan 4			1436.28 35785 x 35795 x 1.4 GEO 138.3W+0.05W
1985 Apr 11			1436.03 35776 x 35794 x 1.6 GEO 140.4W+0.00E
1985 Apr 16		mv out	1439.66 35791 x 35921 x 1.6 GEO 140.8W+2.0W
1985 Apr 19		mv up	1452.40 36093 x 36117 x 1.6
1985 Apr		Drift E	140W
1985 Jun 12		mv in	1436.15 35776 x 35798 x 1.8 GEO 9.9W
1985 Jun		Meteosat 1 backup	10W
1985 Jul			10W
1985 Jul 19		mv out	1438.01 35807 x 35841 x 1.9 GEO 10.5W+0.5W
1985 Aug 31		mv in	1436.14 35766 x 35808 x 2.0 GEO 43.3W
1986 Jan		Storage	43W
1987 Feb 13			1436.00 35765 x 35804 x 3.3 GEO 43.9W
1988 Nov 4			1436.31 35763 x 35818 x 5.0 GEO 45.5W+0.06W
1988 Nov 9		Orbit raise
1988 Nov 9			1441.09 35719 x 36050 x 4.8
1988 Nov 25		orbit raise	1451.17 35943 x 36219 x 5.0
1988 Dec 14			1451.13 35944 x 36216 x 5.0

A totally Cher affair

https://welib.org/md5/aaa22a56cab8ab1cdb2e28fb6d037102

Resurs 1995

 1995-050A

---

The Resurs F-2 No. 10 satellite was launched on 1995 Sep 26 by Soyuz-U from Plesetsk. It was the final Resurs-F mission. It landed after a 30 day flight in the Chelyabinsk region of Russia near the Kazakhstan border.

Resurs F-2 No. 10
Date	Time	Event	Orbit
1995 Sep 26	1120:00	Launch by Soyuz-U	PL LC43/4
	1128	Blok-I sep	88.78 180 x 247 x 82.3
1995 Sep 27			89.16 230 x 233 x 82.3
1995 Oct 6	0600		89.09 226 x 232 x 82.3
1995 Oct 10?		Trim burn
1995 Oct 10	1355		89.13 224 x 238 x 82.3
1995 Oct 16	0350		89.89.05 221 x 233 x 82.32
1995 Oct 18		Trim burn
1995 Oct 18	0448		89.10 222 x 236 x 82.32
1995 Oct 20	0252		89.06 220 x 235 x 82.3
1995 Oct 22		Orbit raise
1995 Oct 23	0224		89.85 255 x 278 x 82.3
1995 Oct 25		Jettison engine
1995 Oct 26	0350		89.83 254 x 277 x 82.3
	0450?	Deorbit
	0500?	PO sep
	0505?	Entry
	0537	Landed

Pioneer 6

  1965-105A

---

The first Solar Pioneer, Pioneer A was built by TRW for NASA-Ames. The spin stabilized cylindrical Solar Pioneers would study the solar wind. Pioneer A was launched at 0731:20 by Delta E from Kennedy and became Pioneer VI. The Delta stage separated at 0756:07 and the X-258 ignited at 0756:40 to insert Pioneer into solar orbit. It was still transmitting in 2000, the longest surviving spacecraft. 

Pioneer 6
Date	Time	Event	Orbit
1965 Dec 16	0731:21	Launch by Delta E	CK LC17A
		T+0:43 SRM burnout
		T+1:10 SRM sep
	0733:49	T+2:28 Thor S/N 20203 MECO 89 km
	0733:54	T+2:33s Delta E S/N 20202 burn, 6:18
		T+2:33s Thor sep	-5343 x 204 x 29.9
		T+2:59s Fairing
	0740:12	T+8:51 Delta SECO
	0756:07	T+24:46 St 3 spinup
	0756:09	Delta sep	273 x 1267 x 30.2
	0756:18	X-258-C4 RH-90 burn, 23s
	0756:42	X-258 burnout
	0757:42?	X-258 sep
	0757	Deploy booms	558 x -291986 x 30.23
1965 Dec 26?		Solar orbit (1Mkm)
1975		Last data to be archived
1988 Oct		Passed 3Mkm from Earth
1997 Oct 6		Plasma and cosmic ray data OK
2000 Dec 8		Telemetry received in anniversary contact

Kosmos 1451

 1983-029A

---

Two-tone telemetry; Hi res satellite

Kosmos-1451
Date	Time	Event	Orbit
1983 Apr 8	0930	Launch by Soyuz-U	Plesetsk
	0934	Blok-I burn
	0938	Blok-I sep
1983 Apr 8			88.73 183x237x82.35
1983 Apr 9			90.04 227x323x82.35
1983 Apr 18			90.09 236x319x82.35
1983 Apr 21			90.02 234 x 315 x 82.4
1983 Apr 22
	0504?	Deorbit
	0514?	PO sep
	0521?	Entry
	0536?	Landed

STS-68 (Endeavour)

 1994-062A

---

The STS-68 mission had an RSLS abort at T-1.9s on 1994 Aug 18 due to higher than expected temperatures on engine 2032. The launch was postponed until after the STS-64 flight. The second Space Radar Lab mission finally got off the ground at 1115.58 UT on 1994 Sep 30. SRB separation was at 0718 and MECO and ET separation came at 0724, leaving Endeavour in a 52 x 213 km x 57 deg orbit. The OMS 2 circularization burn was at MET 35:10, or 0751 UT. The orbit at Sep 30.70 was 213 x 226 km x 57.0 deg.

Trim burns were made on Oct 4 to adjust the orbit to match that of the STS-59 flight to within 10 meters. The orbit was lowered on Oct 7 for an interferometry experiment. A trim burn on Oct 9 adjusted the orbit again. 

STS-68
Date	Time	Event	Orbit
1994 Jul 21		Tow to VAB
1994 Aug 3		Rollout
1994 Aug 18	1053:58	RSLS abort T-1.8s	LC39
1994 Aug 24		Rollback	VAB
1994 Sep 30	1116:00	Launch	LC39
	1118:04	SRB sep T+2:04
	1124:35	MECO T+8:35	87.24 49 x 226 x 57.0 (OMS dV)
	1124:54	ET sep	52 x 213 x 57.0
	1126:35	Prop dump
	1151:09	OMS-2 1:39 49m/s	88.90 214 x 226 x 57.01
	1249	PLBD open
		Activate radar
1994 Oct 2			88.86 212 x 224 x 57.0
1994 Oct 5			88.80 209 x 221 x 57.0
1994 Oct 7	0600		88.76 206 x 219 x 57.0
		Lower orbit
1994 Oct 8	1600		88.61 199 x 212 x 57.0
1994 Oct 10		Deactivate radar payload
1994 Oct 11	0600		88.60 198 x 211 x 57.0
	1206	PLBD closed
	1607:19	Deorbit 2:18 73m/s	-42 x 210 x 57
	1629:46	Entry interface
	1702:09	Landed	RW22 EAFB
	1702:11	Drag chute
	1702:21	NGTD
	1703:10	Wheels stop