Friday, September 17, 2004
USA-144
1999-028A
USA 144 used a 50' fairing on a Titan 4 with no upper stage. The spacecraft entered a low parking orbit at 63 degrees. Amateur observations later found the satellite in a much higher 3000 km orbit. The satellite may be a low res imaging payload.
| USA 144 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 May 22 | 0936 | Launch by Titan 4 B-12 | V SLC4E |
| 0940 | T+4:12 Fairing sep | ||
| 0941 | T+5:45? Stage 2 burn | ||
| 0945 | T+9:08 Stage 2 MECO | ||
| 0945 | T+9:24 Stage 2 sep | 89.43 199 x 292 x 63.4 | |
| 6 objects sep | |||
| 1999 May 24 | Orbit raise | 400 km? | |
| 2 objects sep | |||
| 1999 Jun 4 | Rumoured orbit | 148.49 2697 x 3123 x 63.4 | |
| 1 object sep | |||
| 1999 Jun 16 | 148.49 2692 x 3128 x 63.44 | ||
| 2003 Dec 7 | 148.48 2682 x 3137 x 63.45 | ||
Thursday, September 16, 2004
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Magnum 2
1989-090B
The second MAGNUM payload was deployed from Shuttle mission STS-33 in 1989. Two rockets were cataloged, presumably the IUS stages.
Space and Sat News C&C; News Pty Ltd 5 May 1989 vol 3 no 8 refers to Sydney Morning Herald article discussing MENTOR launch due in 1989 for control from Pine Gap.
The same source reported the payload was to be deployed on the 7th orbit with IUS igniting on orbit 8's ascending node; the IUS uses a 60 minute timer. Depending on the definition of orbit number, this could be consistent with the known orbit corrections. There were two small Discovery orbit corrections at 0609 and 1003 UTC, either of which could be the post-separation distancing burn. I will assume the second one is, which would imply a deploy at 0940 and an IUS burn at 1040. This would lead to an apogee equator crossing at 1535 UTC.
The UN orbital data for the satellite are more consistent with the post-1003 UTC orbit, but the US often supplies incorrect data to the UN for classified satellites, so I place low weight on that piece of information.
| Magnum 2 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 Nov 23 | 0023:30 | Launch from LC39B | |
| 0025:37 | SRB sep | ||
| 0031:56 | MECO | ||
| 0032:14 | ET sep | 86.06 -10? x 165? x 28.5 | |
| 0033:55 | OMS-1 (66s) (30 m/s?) | ||
| 0035:01 | OMS-1 CO | 87.04 50? x 205? x 28.5? | |
| 0050? | Orbit 1 DN | ||
| 0057:11 | OMS-2 (95s) 47m/s? | 88.63 202 x 210 x 28.5 | |
| 0058:46 | OMS-2 CO | ||
| 0136 | Orbit 2 AN | ||
| 0220 | Orbit 2 DN | ||
| 0304 | Orbit 3 AN | ||
| 0347 | Orbit 3 DN | ||
| 0433 | Orbit 4 AN | ||
| 0442 | OMS-3 99m/s | 92.00 207 x 537 x 28.47 | |
| 0516 | Orbit 4 DN | ||
| 0528 | Orbit 4 apogee | ||
| 0603 | Orbit 5 AN | ||
| 0609? | RCS? 5m/s | 92.18 207 x 555 x 28.47 | |
| 0614 | Orbit 5 perigee | ||
| 0649 | Orbit 5 DN over 87W | ||
| 0700 | Orbit 5 apogee over 48W 20S | ||
| 0736 | Orbit 6 AN over 81E | ||
| 0746 | Orbit 6 perigee over 120E 20N | ||
| 0820 | Orbit 6 DN over 110W | ||
| 0833 | Orbit 6 apogee over 68W 21S | ||
| 0908 | Orbit 7 AN over 58E | ||
| 0919 | Orbit 7 perigee over 100E 21N | ||
| 0940? | Deploy from OV-103? | ||
| 0953 | Orbit 7 DN over 133E | ||
| 1003? | RCS? 8m/s | 92.50 235 x 558 x 28.47 | |
| 1005 | Orbit 7 apogee over 92W 21S | ||
| 1040? | IUS burn 1 opp? | ||
| 1040 | Orbit 8 AN over 34E | ||
| 1052 | Orbit 8 perigee over 76E | ||
| 1989 Nov 23 | 1115 | Deploy opp from OV-103 ? | |
| 92.3 237 x 561 x 28.4 (UN) | |||
| 1125 | Orbit 8 DN over 156W | ||
| 1138 | Orbit 8 apogee | ||
| 1212 | IUS burn 1 opp? | ||
| 1212 | Orbit 9 AN over 12E | ||
| 1533? | IUS SRM-1 sep | ||
| 1535? | IUS burn 2 | ||
| 1537? | SRM-2 burnout | ||
| 1615? | IUS sep | ||
| 1989 Nov ? | LAE burn | ||
| 2003 May 2 | 1436.26 34693 x 36886 x 8.6 | ||