Wednesday, January 26, 2000

Navstar 46

 1999-055A


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


GPS 
 

DateTimeEventOrbit  

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 

Monday, January 24, 2000

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 
 

DateTimeEventOrbit  

 
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 280250Tow to OPF 

Sunday, January 23, 2000

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 
 

DateTimeEventOrbit  

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 


May 13,2026

  https://planet4589.org/space/jsr/back/news.855.txt