Sunday, June 28, 2015

USA-161

 2001-044A


Titan 4B with a 66' fairing from SLC-4E. CRYSTAL replacing USA-116. It was launched to a 1300 LTDN orbit.

It was stored in a high perigee orbit from 2002 to 2006, when its orbit was synchronized with that of USA 186.

In 2011 it was moved to a lower circular orbit, a new regime for this class of satellite. It was deorbited in late 2014.


USA 
 

DateTimeEventOrbit  

2001 Oct 5  2121:01  Launch by Titan 4B-34  V SLC4E 
  Stage 1 burn 
  SRMU sep 
 2126  Fairing sep
 2127  Stage 1 sep 
 2127  Stage 2 burn 
 2130  Stage 2 MECO 
 2130:33  T+9:32 Stage 2 sep 
   96.7 202 x 1041 x 97.8 (UN) 
2002 Jan   Change orbit  405 x 857 x 97.9  
2005 Mar 20    407 x 890 x 97.9 
2006 Jan 10    405 x 888 x 97.9 
2006 Mar 16   Apogee raise  
2006 Mar 27    309 x 985 x 98.9 
2010 Oct 15    97.47 309 x 965 x 97.9 
2011 Aug 6    96.84 302 x 912 x 97.9 
2011 Sep   Lower orbit 
2011 Sep 29    95.06 265 x 777 x 97.8 
2012 May 14    92.19 362 x 401 x 97.5 
2012 Aug 16    92.23 358 x 409 x 97.1 
2013 Aug 8    92.34 385 x 392 x 97.0 
2014 Nov 20?  Deorbited 

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Intelsat 603

 1990-021A


Intelsat 603 was the first single-payload launch aboard a Commercial Titan 3. Martin Marietta failed to rewire the logic to take into account the fact that no dual-launch `top' satellite was present; the Intelsat and its Orbus 21S perigee kick motor remained attached to the Titan core second stage, waiting in vain for the non-existent top satellite to separate. Controllers commanded the Intelsat to separate from its kick motor, and used the liquid apogee motor to raise the satellite's orbit and avoid an early reentry. The Titan stage reentered on Mar 28 at 1420 UTC, over the Pacific southeast of Taiwan.

In 2003 usage of IS-603 was transferred to New Skies (although it's not clear if ownership changed). An on orbit operations licence was given to Intelsat Global/UK by the UK government on 2010 Nov 17; on 2013 Jan 8 the satellite's control was transferred to Argentina to provide ARSAT service at 81W. 


Intelsat VI~F-3 
 

DateTimeEventOrbit  

1990 Mar 14  1152:31  Launch by Titan 3  CC  
 1154:20  T+1:49 Stage 1 ignition 
 1154:28  T+1:57 SRM sep 
 1156:58  T+4:27 Stage 2 ignition, St 1 sep 
 1157:09  T+4:38 Fairing sep 
 1200:37  T+8:06 Stage 2 cutoff  
1990 Mar 14   Titan stage 2 MECO   
1990 Mar 14  1217  Stage 2 failed to sep from I603/Orbus-21  89.87 169 x 366 x 28.6 
1990 Mar 14   I603 sep from Titan/Orbus 21S  89.75 169 x 355 x 28.6 
1990 Mar 15   Begin LAM orbit raise 
1990 Mar 16    91.13 262 x 397 x 28.3 
1990 Mar 18    92.32 375 x 401 x 28.3 
1990 Mar 26  1200   93.98 372 x 565 x 28.3 from 92.92 373 x 399 x 28.3 
1990 Mar 29  2100   95.81 544 x 570 x 28.3 from 93.98 372 x 565 x 28.3 
1991 Mar 18    95.78 546 x 565 x 28.3 
1992 Jan 31    95.82 546 x 569 x 28.3 
1992 Mar 9    95.79 545 x 568 x 28.3 
1992 Mar 10   orb trim 95.82 545 x 571 x 28.3 
1992 May 7    95.83 550 x 567 x 28.3 
1992 May 8  0344  Orbit lower OL1 burn  93.65 355 x 570 x 28.32 
1992 May 8  1356s Orbit lower OL2 burn  92.04 344 x 414 x 28.31 
1992 May 8  1835  Orbit lower OL3 burn  91.56 355 x 366 x28.31 
1992 May 9  0930s  Orbit CIRC  91.70 365 x 369 x 28.31 
1992 May 11  1049  Spacing burn  91.60 355 x 370 x 28.31 
1992 May 11  2318  OV-105 contact Intelsat, fail to grapple 
1992 May 13   STS-49 retrieval 
 2359:31  Capture of Intelsat VI F-3  91.60 355 x 370 x 28.31 
1992 May 14  0147:41  RMS grapple CB/Intelsat 
 0300  RMS berth Intelsat 
 0300  RMS ungrapple Intelsat 
 0453:22  Intelsat deploy 
 1723:52s  PKM burn 
1992 May 14  1725  Orbus 21S fired  
1992 May 14  1851  Orbus 21S sep  1548.00 776 x 75123 x 17.7 GEO 42.2E+26.1W 
1992 May 14  1851? Docking adapter/capture bar sep  
1992 May 14    1548.0 776 x 75122 x 17.68 
1992 May 15  0601  LAM0 2-min burn  1442.76 347 x 71486 x 19.3 GEO 53.2E+1.6W 
1992 May 17  0601  LAM1 18.3 min burn  1566.74 5076 x 71537 x ? 
1992 May 18  0816  LAM2 11.5min burn  1676.88 9171 x 71582 x 7.3 
1992 May 18    1670.90 9152 x 71379 x 7.53 
1992 May 18    1677.60 9169 x 71624 x 7.28 
1992 May 19  1200  LAM3 31.8 min burn  2298.95 31156 x 71489 x ? 
1992 May 21  0228  LAM4 3.8 min burn  2432.65 35582 x 71495 x ? 
1992 May 21  2204  LAM5 21 min burn  1426.09 35584 x 35997 x 1? 
1992 May 22  0000   1435.71 35617 x 35945 x 0.63 
1992 May 22   Deploy antennas 
1992 May 22    1435.82 35617 x 35945 x 0.6 GEO 36.8W 
1992 May 25    1436.24 35580 x 35998 x 0.6 GEO 37.3W 
1992 May 31    1436.33 35578 x 36003 x 0.6 GEO 37.7W 
1992 Jul 5    1436.10 35584 x 35988 x 0.5 GEO 37.7W 
1992 Jul 17   AOR, replaced 506  1436.11 35774 x 35799 x 0.5 GEO 33.5W 
1992 Aug 1    1436.15 35777 x 35798 x 0.4 GEO 33.6W 
1994 Mar 13    1436.15 35785 x 35789 x 0.0 GEO 34.6W 
1997 Jan 1    1436.13 35780 x 35794 x 0.0 GEO 34.5W 
1997 Oct 26    1436.08 35778 x 35794 x 0.0 GEO 34.4W 
1997 Nov   Move to 24W 
1997 Nov 7    1436.03 35776 x 35793 x 0.0 GEO 24.5W 
1999 Jun 16    1436.13 35776 x 35798 x 0.0 GEO 24.5W 
2002 Aug 2   Mv out 25W 
2002 Aug 9   mv in 20W 
2006 Jul 30    1436.09 35779 x 35793 x 3.7 GEO 20.0W 
2010 Mar 5    1436.12 35773 x 35801 x 7.0 GEO 20.0W 
2010 Mar 18   Mv out 0.4E/d 
2010 May 20   On station 11.5E 
2013 Jan 10   GEO 11.5E 
2013 Jan 10   Move out  
2013 May 2    1438.38 35820 x 35842 x 9.5 GEO 48.6W+0.6W/d 
2013 Jul 4   Move in at 80.6W  1436.07 35771 x 35801 x 9.6 GEO 80.4W 
2015 Jan 5    1436.08 35765 x 35807 x 10.5 GEO 80.3W 

Sunday, June 21, 2015

WMAP

 2001-027A


The Microwave Anisotropy Probe is a MIDEX mission launched by Delta 7425-10 to the Earth-Sun L2 point. 3 month transit to L2 with lunar flybys.

The satellite observes from 22 to 90 GHz with a resolution of 13-55 arcmin. Mass 837 kg full, incuding 72 kg prop.

Box 3.8 h 2.0w? 5.0 span with a circular deployable solar array/thermal shield panel. GSFC mission and GSFC-built spacecraft. The instrument was built in collaboration with Princeton.

A slight SES-1 overburn was required to achieve the desired parking orbit.

In Feb 2003 MAP was renamed WMAP, the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe, after David T. Wilkinson (1935-2002), one of the leaders of the COBE and MAP satellite programs. The WMAP team announced their preliminary results at the same time, with values of the Hubble Constant, the age of the universe, the breakdown of baryonic matter, dark matter and dark energy, and the first measurement of the time of reionization.

Close passes (less than 10 million km) to the Earth are predicted in Apr 2025 and Nov 2039.


MAP 
 

DateTimeEventOrbit  

2001 Jun 30  1946:46 Launch by Delta 7425-10  CC SLC17B 
  T+1:03 SRM 1-4 burnout 
  T+1:08 SRM 1-4 sep 22 km  -6320 x 28 ?  
  T+4:24 MECO 
  T+4:30 Stage 1 sep 
  T+4:37 SES-1 113 km  -4470 x 160 ? 
  T+4:58 Fairing sep 125 km 5.4 km/s  -4400 x 160 ?  
  T+5:48  -4189 x 159 
  T+7:52  -3426 x 167 
  T+10:16  -1767 x 170 
  T+10:30  -1482 x 170 
  T+10:58  -926 x 169 
  T+11:08  -741 x 169 
  T+11:24  -370 x 169 
 1958:29 T+11:43 SECO-1 (7s late) 167 x 204 x 28.75  
 2004Solar array deploy 
 2104:29 T+1:17:43 SES-2 
 2104:33 T+1:17:47 SECO-2  181 x 308 x 28.8 
 2105:26 T+1:18:40 Stage 2 sep 
 2108:03  T+1:19:17 TES 
 2108:31 T+1:20:45 TECO 
 2112:13 T+1:25:27 Yo-yo despin 
 2112:18 T+1:25:32 Stage 3 sep  182 x 290991 
 2127s  SES-3 depletion  201 x 325 x 26.9 
2001 Jun 30    181 x 289038 x 28.7 
2001 Jul 1    182 x 292492 x 28.7 
 1308  Pass EL1:4 
2001 Jul 2   Apogee 1 
2001 Jul 3  2214  Pass 96479 km from the Moon
2001 Jul 4  1322  A1 Cal burn, 0.8kg 105s 1.9m/s 1017 x 299475 x 28.7 
2001 Jul 7   Delta stage 2 reentry 
2001 Jul 8  0433 Perigee 1 burn TCM 1275s 20.2m/s  
2001 Jul 8    3100 x 347000 x 28.3 
2001 Jul 12  1611  A2 cal burn 40s 0.2m/s at 347891 km 
2001 Jul 17  0336 Perigee 2, TCM 176s 2.5m/s at 2955 km 
2001 Jul 18    3002 x 354103 x 28.3 
2001 Jul 21  1854  A3 cal burn 40s 0.3m/s 356012 km 
2001 Jul 25    4720 x 355851 x 28.8 
2001 Jul 26  1229  Perigee 3, TCM 546s 7.4m/s 4741km 
2001 Jul 27  0430 P3C, TCM 23.8s 0.3m/s at 158306 km 
2001 Jul 29  2011  Enter Lunar sphere 
2001 Jul 30 1637  Lunar flyby 5279 km 
2001 Jul 31  1257  Depart Lunar sphere 
2001 Aug 1    182832 x 1178307 x 28.1 
2001 Aug 6  1637  MCC1 17.8s 0.1m/s at 755736 km 
2001 Aug 9   Begin science data collection 
2001 Aug 13    213681 x 1175513 x 28.1 
2001 Aug 21    203451 x 1262240 x 29.25 
2001 Aug 26   Within 1.2Mkm 
2001 Aug 28    239618 x 1333433 x 30.85 
2001 Sep 14  1551  MCC2 6.6s 0.04m/s at 1402107 km 
2001 Sep 29    270609 x 1468691 x 40.28 
2001 Oct 1   Arrive L2 
2001 Oct 10    258144 x 1479888 x 42.22 
2001 Nov 2    306445 x 1495753 x 38.15 
2001 Dec 13    327623 x 1453870 x 30.87 
2002 Jan 4    418706 x 1444582 x 32.19 
2002 Jan 8    385538 x 1440816 x 32.80 
2002 Jan 15    357519 x 1441727 x 33.02 
2002 Jan 16  1650  SK1 72s 0.4m/s 
2002 May 8  1603 SK2 53s 0.34m/s 
2002 Jul 30  1638 SK3 72s 0.5m/s 
2002 Nov 5  1921 SK4 96s 0.56m/s 
2003 Mar 12  1350 SK5 50s 0.3m/s 
2003 Nov 12  1511  SK6 42s 0.25m/s 
2004 Mar 9  1524  SK7 112s 0.66m/s 
2010 Aug 14  end of science ops 
2010 Aug 19   end of calibration ops 
2010 Sep 8 To heliocentric orbit , 20 min burn 
2010 Sep 30  1540  Departure burn 
 1640:55  End burn 
2010 Oct 19  2020  Begin final burn 
 2124  Complete burn, 27.7m/s 
2012 Jan    1.002 x 1.090 AU x 0.15 
2013 Jan    1.001 x 1.085 AU x 0.15 

Payload:

  • Dual Gregorian 1.4 x 1.6m reflectors

  • Differential microwave radiometers 22, 30, 40, 60 and 90 GHz

QuickBird

 2001-047A


DigitalGlobe's QuickBird made it to orbit safely. Planned orbit was lowered to beat Ikonos' resolution and achieve 0.6m. Mass is 1028 kg.

In 2011 the orbit was boosted to 475 km and then allowed to decay until its 2015 reentry.


QuickBird 2 
 

DateTimeEventOrbit  

2001 Oct 18 1851:26 Launch by Delta 7320-10C  V SLC2W 
  T+1:04 SRM 1-3 out 
  T+1:39 SRM 1-3 sep 
  T+4:24 MECO 
  T+4:32 St 1 sep 
  T+4:48 SES-1 
  T+4:57 Fairing sep
 1902:08 T+10:42 SECO-1  185 x 472 x 98.1  
  T+55:00 SES-2 
  T+57:51 SECO-2  463 x 472 x 97.3  
 1955:38 T+1:04:12 Delta sep  93.87 461 x 465 x 97.2 
 2020?Delta depletion  90.67 167 x 447 x 108.9 
2002 Jan 4    93.47 442 x 447 x 97.2 
2002 Jan 5   mv up  93.53 445 x 449 x 97.2 
2013 Jan 1    93.54 446 x 448 x 97.2 
2011 Mar 24    93.55 446 x 450 x 97.1 
2011 Mar 24  Begin boost  93.60 448 x 453 x 97.1 
2011 Apr 7   Boost complete  94.16 476 x 479 x 97.3 
2013 Mar 14    93.46 442 x 444 x 97.2 
2013 Dec 20    92.95 417 x 420 x 97.2 
2014 Mar 3    92.72 407 x 408 x 97.1 
2015 Jan 27  0030? Reentered  87.42 141 x 151 x 97 

Payload:

  • Pan camera, 0.61m res, 16 km swath

  • Multispectral camera, 2.5m res

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Progress M-27M

 2015-024A


Spacecraft 426, mission 59P. Mass 7289 kg including 879 kg prop, refuelling prop 494 kg, 50 kg O2, Rodnik water, 420 kg; cargo in GO 1393 kg. Total cargo 2357 kg.

After launch the vehicle was found spinning rapidly in yaw, with no vehicle telemetry and unresponsive to ground command, although onboard video was downlinked. Early element sets showing a lower than planned orbit were incorrect. The failure was linked to structural resonance issues in the third stage separation sequence, a design error in the Progress/Soyuz-2-1a combination.


Progress M-27M 
 

DateTimeEventOrbit  

2015 Apr 28  0709  Launch by Soyuz-2-1a KB LC31? 
  T+1:57 Strapons sep 
  T+4:36 Blok-A MECO 
  T+4:47 Blok-A sep 
  T+4:56 KhO sep 
  T+4:58 GO sep 
 0715  T+8:44 MECO 
 0715  T+8:48 Blok-I sep  187 x 259 x 51.7  
2015 May 8  0204  Reentry over Pacific

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Beidou 1

 2000-069A


The Beidou (`Northern Dipper', or `Ursa Major') navigation technology satellite for the People's Liberation Army was launched by CZ-3A in late 2000. It was built by CAST/Beijing. Also referred to as Beidou Daohang Jishu Weixing, 'Ursa Major Navigation Technology Satellite', and Chinasat-32 (in the UN registration). China refers to the first satellites as a 'navigation demonstration system'.

On Nov 6, the apogee motor was fired to place the satellite at GEO 140E, the Chinasat-32 position. Phillip Clark speculated that further Beidou satellites would be launched to Chinasat-31 and -33, at 80E and 110.5E. The satellite was retired in Nov 2011.

The Beidou uses the DFH-3 bus.

Mass of the first satellite was 2315 kg.


Beidou 
 

DateTimeEventOrbit  

2000 Oct 30  1602  Launch by CZ-3A XSC LC2 
  T+2:25? Stage 1 MECO 
  T+2:27? Stage 2 MES, Stage 1 sep 
  T+3:52? Fairing sep
  T+4:15? St 2 MECO 
  T+4:20? St 2 VECO 
  T+4:21? St 2 sep, St 3 MES 
 1612 T+10:19? St 3 MECO-1 
  T+20:00? St 3 MES-2 
  T+22:00? St 3 MECO-2 
 1625? T+23:40? Stage 3 sep 
2000 Oct 30    753.14 194 x 41890 x 25.0 
2000 Nov 6  0530?  AKM burn 
2000 Nov 7   (?)  753.77 192 x 41922 x 25.0 
2000 Nov 9    1436.12 35772 x 35801 x 0.2 GEO 140.0E 
2000 Dec 1    1436.05 35773 x 35798 x 0.1 GEO 140.0E 
2006 Aug 4    1436.12 35784 x 35790 x 0.0 GEO 140.0E 
2010 Sep 20    1436.27 35773 x 35807 x 1.7 GEO 139.0E 
2010 Sep   Slow drift W 
2010 Oct 17    1436.41 35775 x 35808 x 1.7 GEO 137.7E 
2010 Oct 27   Move out 
2010 Nov 24   Move in  
2010 Nov 30    1436.09 35761 x 35811 x 1.9 GEO 59.2E 
2011 Jul 21    1435.95 35771 x 35796 x 2.4 GEO 58.9E 

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Eros A

 2000-079A


The US/Israeli joint venture West Indian Space Ltd. (incorporated in the Cayman Is.) plans to launch 8 Eros satellites based on the Ofeq-3 design. Mass is 250 kg. Launch of Eros-A1 1999 Dec by Start-1 from PL. Eros-A2 2000 Sep. WIS is a venture by IAI/Lod, El-Op/Rehovot, and Core Software Tech/Pasadena. 

Puskoviye Uslogi launched Eros A1 on Start-1. It appears that the DS stage was either not carried or did not separate from the fourth stage.

EROS A has 1.9m resolution. Its final orbit maneuver was on 2012 Apr 24 and it probably stopped operating in the 2012-2013 period.


EROS A1 
 

DateTimeEventOrbit  

2000 Dec 5  1232  Launch by Start-1  Svobodniy 
  T+1:27 St 1 sep 
  T+1:27 St 2 burn 
  T+1:56 Interstage sep 
 1234  T+2:28 St 2 sep 
 1234? T+2:28 Stage 3 burn 168 km   
 1235  T+3:31 Stage 3 sep  -4510 x 500  
 1236 T+4:55 Fairing sep-4506 x 495 
 1240  T+8:08 Stage 4 burn 207s  -4506 x 495  
 1241  T+8:58 Stage 4 burnout 
 1241  T+8:58 PBPS burn 
  6:15 coast delay before sep 
 1244  T+12:43 DS burnout 
 1247  T+15:12 St 4 sep 
2001 Jun 7    93.91 459 x 472 x 97.3 
  Orbit raise  94.29 472 x 496 x 97.4 
2001 Nov 12    93.94 454 x 480 x 97.4 
  Orbit raise 94.46 480 x 505 x 97.4 
2002 Mar 14   93.98 460 x 477 x 97.4 
2002 Mar 21   Orbit raise  94.50 475 x 513 x 97.4 
2002 Sep 9    93.75 444 x 471 x 97.4 
2002 Sep 10   Orbit raise  94.37 468 x 507 x 97.4 
2002 Dec 2    93.97 451 x 486 x 97.4 
2002 Dec 4   Orbit raise  94.09 458 x 490 x 97.4 
2003 Apr 14    93.61 435 x 466 x 97.4 
2003 Apr 16   Orbit raise 94.07 458 x 488 x 97.4 
2003 Apr 30   Orbit raise 94.31 479 x 491 x 97.4 
2003 May 5   Orbit raise  94.55 480 x 512 x 97.4 
2003 Jul 7    94.45 477 x 506 x 97.4 
2003 Jul 10   Orbit raise 94.75 501 x 512 x 97.4 
2004 Mar 14    94.40 483 x 495 x 97.4 
2004 Mar 15   Orbit raise  94.59 486 x 511 x 97.4 
2004 Mar 25   Orbit raise  94.78 504 x 511 x 97.4 
2004 Sep 19    94.65 499 x 503 x 97.4 
2004 Sep 20   Orbit raise  94.71 500 x 507 x 97.5 
2004 Oct 4   Orbit raise  94.78 504 x 510 x 97.5 
2006 Feb 20    94.46 490 x 494 x 97.4 
2006 Feb 20   Orbit raise  94.62 493 x 506 x 97.4 
2006 Feb 27   Orbit raise  94.79 504 x 511 x 97.5 
2008 Sep 8    94.56 493 x 501 x 97.5 
2009 Mar 2    94.53 491 x 500 x 97.3 
2009 Mar 3   Orbit raise  94.62 498 x 501 x 97.4 
2009 Mar 16   Orbit raise  94.79 500 x 516 x 97.5 
2009 Mar 23   Orbit raise  94.87 507 x 517 x 97.5 
2011 Feb 9    94.71 498 x 511 x 97.4 
2011 Feb 9   Orbit raise  94.81 503 x 515 x 97.5 
2011 Feb 15   Orbit raise  94.91 506 x 522 x 97.5 
2011 Feb 21   Orbit raise  95.02 514 x 524 x 97.5 
2011 Mar 1   Orbit raise  95.12 515 x 533 x 97.5 
2011 Mar 8   Orbit raise  95.22 525 x 532 x 97.6 
2011 Mar 15   Orbit raise  95.32 527 x 540 x 97.6 
2011 Mar 22   Orbit raise  95.42 534 x 543 x 97.6 
2011 Mar 29   Orbit raise  95.52 536 x 550 x 97.6 
2012 Mar 27    95.25 524 x 536 x 97.6 
2012 Mar 27   Orbit raise  95.33 524 x 544 x 97.6 
2012 Apr 3   Orbit raise  95.41 530 x 546 x 97.6 
2012 Apr 10   Orbit raise  95.50 535 x 550 x 97.6 
2012 Apr 24   Orbit raise  95.57 537 x 555 x 97.6 
2015 May 7    93.65 447 x 458 x 97.6

Genesis 2

 2007-028A


Bigelow due for launch Jan 2007 by Dnepr. Same third-scale size as Genesis 1: 4.6m long 2.4m dia, 4 solar arrays. Mass around 1350 kg.


Genesis 2 
 

DateTimeEventOrbit  

2007 Jun 28 1502:20  Launch by Dnepr  Yasny 
  T+1:49? Stage 1 sep 
  T+4:36? GO 
  T+4:41? St 2 sep 
 T+4:45? DU on 
 1516:27 Stage 3 sep 
 2320  Payload acquired by ground station 
2007 Jun 30    95.83 555 x 561 x 64.5 
2015 May 31    205 x 229 x 64.5 

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