A publication of NASA’s National Space Science Data Center/World Data Center for Satellite Information as the WWAS for ISES/COSPAR

SPACEWARN Activities

All information in this publication was received between
1 January 2000 and 31 January 2000.

A. List of New International Designations and Launch Dates.

USSPACECOM Catalog numbers are in parentheses.

     2000-004E (26065) ASUSat                  27 January 2000
     2000-004D (26064) FALCONSAT               27 January 2000
     2000-004C (26063) OPAL                    27 January 2000
     2000-004B (26062) OCS                     27 January 2000
     2000-004A (26061) JAWSAT                  27 January 2000
     2000-003A (26058) Zhongxing 22            25 January 2000
     2000-002A (26056) Galaxy 10R              25 January 2000
     2000-001A (26052) USA 148                 21 January 2000

B. Text of Launch Announcements.

2000-004E ASUSat
(Arizona State University SATellite) is an American
microsatellite that was released from JAWSAT. This student-engineered
spacecraft carries components for engineering tests.
For further information, see
http://nasa.asu.edu/asusat/.
Initial
parameters of the circular orbit were period 100.4 min, altitude 773
km, and inclination 100.2 deg.
2000-004D FALCONSAT
is an American military microsatellite that was released
from JAWSAT. It is reported to be a technology testing mission.
Initial parameters of the circular orbit were period 100.4 min,
altitude 773 km, and inclination 100.2 deg.
2000-004C OPAL
(Orbiting Picosatellite Automated Launcher) is an American
microsatellite for engineering tests of components, and was released
from JAWSAT. In turn, it was also to deploy six student-engineered
picosatellites as a feasibility test; see
http://ssdl.stanford.edu/opal/home.html
for a sketch of the mission. Initial parameters of
the circular orbit were period 100.4 min, altitude 773 km, and
inclination 100.2 deg.
2000-004B OCS
(Optical Calibration Sphere) is an American military
microsatellite that was released from JAWSAT. Initial parameters of
the circular orbit were period 100.4 min, altitude 773 km, and
inclination 100.2 deg.
2000-004A JAWSAT
(Joint air force Academy-Weber state university SATellite)
is an American military minisatellite that was launched from
Vandenberg AFB by the first of 450 (350?) decommissioned/re-engineered
Minuteman-2 rockets at 03:03 UT. After its own launch,
JAWSAT deployed four microsatellites: FALCONSAT, OCS, OPAL, and
ASUSat. No information is available on the instruments on board
JAWSAT, except that according to one report it may carry a “High-Resolution
Imaging System”.
(http://cast.weber.edu/jawsat/jawsat.html)
Initial parameters of the circular orbit were period 100.4
min, altitude 773 km, and inclination 100.2 deg.
2000-003A Zhongxing 22
is a Chinese (PRC) geosynchronous communications
spacecraft that was launched from Xichang Center in Sichuan province
at 16:45 UT by a Long March 3A rocket. The 2,300 kg spacecraft will
be parked over 98-E longitude.
2000-002A Galaxy 10R
is an American geosynchronous communications
spacecraft that was launched by an Ariane 4 rocket from Kourou at
01:12 UT. The 2,137 kg, 8.8 kW spacecraft carries 24 C-band and
24 Ku-band transponders to provide digital and video communications
to nearly all of about 11,000 cable systems in North America after
parking over 123-W longitude.
2000-001A USA 148,
also known as DSCS 3 (Defence Satellite Communications
System 3) is an American military geosynchronous communications
spacecraft that was launched by an Atlas 2 rocket from Cape
Canaveral at 01:03 UT. (Being the 10th in the
DSCS 3 FN series, its full name is likely to be DSCS 3 F10.) With a
solar power of 1,240 W, the jam-proof spacecraft has six “SHF”
relaying channels in the frequency range of 50-85 MHz which can be
received by an 84 cm dish. The craft is triaxially stabilized at
about 0.1 deg in roll and pitch. Parking longitude is unavailable.

C. Spacecraft Particularly Suited for International Participation

  1. Spacecraft with essentially continuous radio beacons on frequencies
    less than 150 MHz, or higher frequencies if especially suited for ionospheric
    or geodetic studies. (NNSS denotes U.S. Navy Navigational
    Satellite System. Updates or corrections to the list are possible only with
    information from the user community.)

    Note:
    The full list appeared in SPX 545.
    The list will not be repeated in future issues until significantly revised again.

    Geoffrey E. Perry, MBE.
     

    We are sad to learn that Geoffrey Perry passed away on 18 January 2000.
    Mr. Perry has been almost the sole source of updates to this section
    since over a decade ago, during and prior to his affiliation with the
    Kettering Group in Cornwall, England. His firsthand knowledge of
    satellites carrying beacons of interest to ionospheric studies,
    especially the many in the Russian COSMOS series of this kind and others
    in the GLONASS fleet has been of immense help to the space physics
    community in general and the Spacewarn Bulletin in particular. Also
    notable was his alerts to us whenever (occasionally) NORAD’s orbital
    elements of a satellite, or of a rocket body, or even of debris did
    not match its International ID. We searched the back issues of the
    Bulletin since it went on-line in 1991. There have been 19 instances of
    explicit acknowledgement of Mr. Perry’s help to us and, presumably, as
    many in the Bulletins that were not stored electronically in the prior
    decade.
    Spacewarn Bulletin Office
    WWAS/ISES/COSPAR
  2. Global Positioning System satellites useful for navigational
    purposes and geodetic studies. (“NNN” denotes no national name. SPACEWARN
    would appreciate suggestions to update this list. An asterisk [*] denotes
    changes in this issue.)

    High precision (<20 cm) GPS constellation tracking data obtained from
    the network of about 80 dedicated global stations that are of interest to
    geodetic study may be obtained through the following services provided
    by the International Association of Geodesy (IGS)

         FTP:    igscb.jpl.nasa.gov  [directory /igscb]
         WWW:    http://igscb.jpl.nasa.gov/
         E-mail: igscb@cobra.jpl.nasa.gov
    

    The standard format of the GPS situation appeared in SPX-518. It will not
    be repeated since an excellent source of trajectory- and science-related GPS information is at
    http://www.utexas.edu/depts/grg/gcraft/notes/gps/gps.html#DODSystem
    It provides many links to GPS related databases.

  3. Russian Global Navigational (Positioning) Spacecraft, GLONASS
    constellation. (SPACEWARN requests updates/additions from readers to this list.
    Entries marked “*” are updates or additions to the list.)

    All GLONASS spacecraft are in the general COSMOS series. The COSMOS numbers
    (nnnn) invoked by USSPACECOM have often differed from the numbers (NNNN)
    associated in Russia; when different, the USSPACECOM COSMOS numbers are shown
    in parentheses. The corresponding GLONASS numbers are Russian numbers, followed
    by the numbers in parentheses that are sometimes attributed to them outside
    Russia.

    The operating frequencies in MHz are computed from the channel number K.
    Frequencies (MHz) = 1602.0 + 0.5625K and L2 = 1246.0 + 0.4375K.

    The standard format of the GLONASS situation appeared in SPX-545. It
    will not be repeated in view of the excellent updated source at:
    http://www.rssi.ru/SFCSIC/english.html
    maintained by the Coordinational
    Scientific Information Center (CSIC),Russian Space Forces.

  4. Actual decays/landings of payload spacecraft and rocket bodies (R/B)
    only. No further information is available.
    Designations         Common Name                       1999
    
    1999-059B    (25950) R/B Ariane 44LP                 27 Jan
    1983-025A    (13964) MOLNIYA 1-57                    26 Jan
    1975-056B    (07969) R/B that launched COSMOS 744)   22 Jan
    1993-015B    (22564) R/B Atlas 1                     06 Jan
    
  5. Miscellaneous Items. (This section contains information/data that
    are entered on occasion and may not be repeated in each issue of the
    SPACEWARN Bulletin.)
  6. Related NSSDC resources.

    NSSDC/WDC for Satellite Information is an archival center for science
    data from many spacecraft. Many space physics datasets are on-line for
    electronic access through:
    http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/space/

    For off-line data, please contact the Request Office, NSSDC, Code 633,
    NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, U.S.A., for specific information
    (request@nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov).
    Information on the current status of the instruments on board from the
    investigators will be most welcomed. Precomputed trajectory files
    and orbital parameters of many magnetospheric and heliospheric science-payload
    spacecraft may be accessed via anonymous FTP from NSSDC.
    (See About the SPACEWARN Bulletin
    for access method; a file in the active directory named AAREADME.TXT,
    outlines the contents.)

    Other files interest for Earth-centered spacecraft can be generated thru the URL,
    http://sscweb.gsfc.nasa.gov/

    Programs related to the heliospheric spacecraft trajectories can be executed
    through the URL,
    http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/space/helios/heli.html

    Magnetospheric, Planetary, and Astronomical science data from many spacecraft
    may be accessed through links from the URL:
    http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/



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    Questions/comments about the content of these pages should be directed to:
    The World Warning Agency for Satellites, wwas@nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov
    National Space Science Data Center, Mail Code 633
    NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771