Saturday, June 15, 2002
Monday, June 10, 2002
Magnum 1
1985-010B
The first MAGNUM satellite was launched from Space Shuttle Discovery on mission 51-C in 1985. This was the first highly classified payload aboard a Shuttle, and the mission was conducted with unprecedented secrecy for a piloted flight.
From the UN data it appears that the two-stage IUS-11 placed MAGNUM in a geostationary transfer orbit, leaving its own on-board propulsion to circularize the orbit. This contrasts with the TDRS and DSCS profiles in which the IUS second stage is used as the apogee motor, and suggests that MAGNUM is, as its name suggests, significantly heavier than these payloads. Some other sources indicate that SRM-2 did indeed make it to GEO, but the revelation that RHYOLITE used a liquid apogee motor and that MAGNUM was an enhanced follow-on suggest the possibility that MAGNUM had a similar motor.
Apparently the solid motor SRM-1 performance on IUS-11 was at about 15 m/s lower than planned. IUS first stage RCS thrusters were used to make up the shortfall.
Other sources suggest that the launch was a more conventional one with SRM-1 to GTO and SRM-2 to GEO, with no MAGNUM apogee motor; the data provided by the US to the UN would then be deliberately deceptive.
| USA 8 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 Jan 24 | 1950:00 | Launch from LC39A | |
| 1952:07 | SRB sep | ||
| 1958:32 | MECO | ||
| 1958:49 | ET sep | ||
| 2035? | OMS-2 | 300 x 300 x 28.5 | |
| 1985 Jan 25 | 0645 | probable USA-8 deploy | |
| 0656? | OMS-3 sep? | 91.64 334 x 375 x 28.5 | |
| 0740 | IUS burn, eq crossing N | ||
| SRM-1 burn, T0 (deploy+55) | |||
| 0742 | SRM-1 cutoff T0+2:26 | ||
| 0743 | IUS Stage 1 RCS, T0+3:10 | ||
| 1826m/s burn to UN orbit 1 | |||
| Scenario 1 SRM-1 orbit | 284.3 335 x 15553 x 28.4 (UN) | ||
| 0745? | Stage 1 sep | ||
| 0746? | SRM-2 burn in Scenario 1 | ||
| 0830? | SRM-2 sep | ||
| SRM-2 orbit | 612.3 341 x 34670 x 28.4 (UN) | ||
| 1236? | LAE burn | ||
| 2410m/s burn to Scenario 2 orbit 1 | |||
| Scenario 2 SRM-1 orbit 340 x 35600 x 28.4 (guess) | |||
| 1235? | SRM-1 sep | ||
| 1240? | SRM-2 burn, T0+5 hr?, 1:43 burn | ||
| 1320? | SRM-2 sep | ||
| 1428.40 35513? x 35758? x 0? | |||
Sunday, June 9, 2002
GE-8
2000-081B
GE Americom's Aurora III (GE 8) was launched for US/Alaska/Hawaii coverage. Launch by Ariane, 2001. LMMS/Sunnyvale A2100A. GEO 139W, distribute radio network and data.
Launch mass 2015 kg; dry mass 919 kg. Size 4.1 x 3.6m 14.5m span.
| GE 8 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 Dec 20 | 0026 | Launch by Ariane 5 | CSG ELA3 |
| T+2:40 EAP sep | |||
| T+3:24 Fairing sep | |||
| 0036 | T+10:06 EPC cutoff | ||
| 0036 | T+10:12 EPC sep | ||
| 0036 | T+10:27 EPS MES | ||
| 0052 | T+26:55 EPS MECO | ||
| 0054 | T+28:44 Astra 2D sep | ||
| 0057 | T+31:20 Sylda 5 sep | ||
| 0100 | T+34:40 GE-8 sep | ||
| 0106 | T+40:15 LDREX deploy | ||
| 0130 | T+1:04:37 LDREX sep | ||
| 2000 Dec 20 | 630.58 185 x 35775 x 2.0 | ||
| 2000 Dec 24 | 630.78 215 x 35755 x 2.0 | ||
| 2000 Dec 23 | 0700? | LAM-1 | |
| 2000 Dec 26 | 1020.95 18657 x 35759 x 0.4 | ||
| 2000 Dec 26 | 2030? | LAM-2? | |
| 2000 Dec 30 | 1436.27 35784 x 35795 x 0.1 GEO 146.0W+0.05W | ||
| 2001 Jan 19 | 1436.10 35778 x 35795 x 0.1 GEO 146.0W | ||