SPX-535 1 June 1998 SPACEWARN Activities A publication of NASA NSSDC/WDC-A-R&S and the WWAS for ISES/COSPAR (All information in this publication was received between 1 May 1998 and 31 May 1998.) A. List of New International Designations and Launch Dates (UT). (USSPACECOM Catalog numbers are in parentheses.) 1998-033A (25354) CHINA STAR 1 (ZHONGWEI 1) 30 May 1998-032E (25346) IRIDIUM 75 17 May 1998-032D (25345) IRIDIUM 74 17 May 1998-032C (25344) IRIDIUM 73 17 May 1998-032B (25343) IRIDIUM 72 17 May 1998-032A (25342) IRIDIUM 70 17 May 1998-031A (25340) PROGRESS M-39 15 May 1998-030A (25338) NOAA 15 13 May 1998-029A (25336) USA 139 09 May 1998-028A (25331) ECHOSTAR 4 07 May 1998-027A (25327) COSMOS 2351 07 May 1998-026B (25320) IRIDIUM 71 02 May 1998-026A (25319) IRIDIUM 69 02 May B. Text of Launch Announcements. 1998-033A CHINA STAR 1 (also known as ZHONGWEI 1) is a PRC geosynchronous communications spacecraft that was launched at 10::00 UT by a Long March 3B rocket from Xichang Launch Center. The 2,984 kg spacecraft carries 24 C-band and 24 Ku-band transponders to provide voice and video communications throughout China and neighboring countries, after parking at 87.5-E longitude. 1998-032A, IRIDIUM 70, IRIDIUM 72, IRIDIUM 73, IRIDIUM 74, and IRIDIUM 75 032B,032C, are the latest and the final batch of IRIDIUMs that completes the 032D,032E constellation of 66 operational and six reserve satellites. The full constellation will enable telephone calls and data transmissions among fixed/mobile ground stations far removed from cellular areas. They were launched by a Delta 2 rocket from Vandenberg AFB at 21:16 UT. Initial orbital parameters of all were similar: period 98 min, apogee 670 km, perigee 665 km, and inclination 86.6 deg. 1998-031A PROGRESS M-39 is a Russian automatic cargo craft that was launched by a Soyuz-U rcoket from Baikonur at 22:13 UT to dock with and deliver goods to MIR station. It docked with MIR at 23:50 UT on 17 May and delivered 1,500 kg of fuel and another 1,500 kg of food, equipment, and gifts. In late June 1998 PROGRESS M-39 will give a jerk to MIR to initiate progressively lower orbits, leading to its demise in an ocean in December 1999. Initial orbital parameters were period 92 min, apogee 378 km, perigee 371 km, and inclination 51.7 deg. 1998-030A NOAA 15 (pre-launch: NOAA-K) is an American weather satelite that was launched by a Titan 2 rocket from Vandenberg AFB at 15:52 UT. It carries imaging and sounding instruments to obtain data on cloud coverage, atmospheric temperature, humidity, and ozone concentration. NOAA 15 replaces the decommissioned NOAA 12. Initial orbital parameters of this Sun-synchronous spacecraft were period 101.2 min, apogee 824 km, perigee 808 km, and inclination 98.7 deg. 1998-029A USA 139 is an American (National Reconnoissance Office) military reconnoissance spacecraft in the MILSTAR 3 series that was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Station by a Tital 4B rocket. 1998-028A ECHOSTAR 4 is an American geosynchronous spacecraft that was launched by a Proton-K rocket from Baikonur at 23:45 UT. With its 32 transponders, it will provide direct-to-home voice and video communications to the North American continent. As of 1 June 1998 the solar panels still remained unfurled. 1998-027A COSMOS 2351 is a Russian military satellite that was launched by a Molniya rocket from Plesetsk cosmodrome at 08:53 UT. Initial orbital parameters were period 717.8 min, apogee 39,823 km, perigee 533 km, and inclination 63 deg. 1998-026A, IRIDIUM 69 and IRIDIUM 71 are two American communications 1998-026B satellites that were launched by a Long March 2C/SD rocket from Taiyuan Launch Center in PRC at 09:16 UT. They join the previously launched fleet of IRIDIUMs that enable voice and data transmission from locations far away from cellular networks. Initial orbital parameters of both were similar: period 98.1 min, apogee 670 km, perigee 665 km, and inclination 86.6 deg. 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; an asterisk [*] indicates updated or new information since the last issue. Updates or corrections to the list are possible only with information from the user community.) SEE LIST IN SPX-520. THE LIST WILL REAPPEAR ONLY AFTER MAJOR UPDATES TO THE LIST ARE AVAILABLE. 2. Global Positioning System satellites useful for navigational purposes and geodetic studies. ("NNN" denotes no national name. SPACEWARN Bulletin appreciates 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 URL http://www.utexas.edu/depts/grg/gcraft/notes/gps/gps.html#DODSystem. It provides many links to GPS-related data bases. The latest member of the GPS fleet is NAVSTAR 38 (1997-067A), launched on 6 November 1997. 3. Russian Global Navigational (Positioning) Spacecraft, GLONASS constellation. (SPACEWARN requests updates or additions from readers to this list. An asterisk [*] indicates updates or additions to the list.) All GLONASS spacecraft are in the general COSMOS series. The COSMOS numbers invoked by USSPACECOM have sometimes differed from the numbers (NNNN) associated in Russia. The operating frequencies in MHz are computed from the channel number K. Frequencies (MHz) are L1 = 1602.0 + 0.5625K and L2 = 1246.0 + 0.4375K. The standard format of the GLONASS situation appeared in SPX-515. It will not be repeated in view of the excellent updated source, with the URL http://www.rssi.ru/SFCSIC/glonass.html, maintained by the Coordinational Scientific Information Center (CSIC), Russian Space Forces. 4. Actual decays or landings of payload spacecraft and rocket bodies (R/B) only. No further information is available. Designations Common Name 1998 1997-058C (24958) SPUTNIK Jr 21 May 1998-015A (25256) PROGRESS M-38 16 May 1998-019F (25277) R/B DELTA 2 11 May 1983-038A (14034) COSMOS 1456 11 May 1998-028B (25332) R/B PROTON-K 10 May 1988-069D (19380) R/B of MOLNIYA 1-73 10 May 1991-003C (21057) R/B ARIANE 44L 08 May 1998-022A (25297) STS 90 Landed on 03 May 5. Miscellaneous Items. (This section contains information or data that are entered on occasion and may not be repeated in each issue of the SPACEWARN Bulletin.) MAGION 5 (96-050B), a Czech subsatellite of INTERBALL AURORA that has remained mute since its launch, was activated to normalcy on 14 May 1998. It remains operational. NSSDC/WDC-A-R&S is an archival center for science data from many spacecraft. Some data are on line for electronic access. 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 FTP'ed from NSSDC's ANON_DIR:[000000.ACTIVE] and its several subdirectories. (See the last page of the bulletin for the access method; a file in the ACTIVE directory named AAREADME.DOC outlines the contents.) It can also be accessed through the WWW URL http://sscop1.gsfc.nasa.gov/ssc.html This HTML also enables executing several codes related to the orbits of many geocentric science payload spacecraft. The codes related to the heliospheric spacecraft trajectories can be executed through the URL http://nssdc/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/ =========================================================================== SPACEWARN Bulletin The bulletin is intended to serve as an international communication medium for the rapid distribution of information on satellites and space probes. The material it contains is based on guidelines in the COSPAR Guide to Rocket and Satellite Information and Data Exchange, COSPAR Transactions #8, December 1972, and various Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) resolutions. Hard copy recipients and electronic accessers are encouraged to disseminate the bulletin to interested individuals and institutions in their regions or countries. All bulletins beginning with January 1991 (SPX-447) are now available on line; the SPX number increases by one for each succeeding month (for example, the January 1993 bulletin is SPX-471). Through DECnet: At the prompt type: copy nssdca::anon_dir:[000000.active.spx]spx.471 Through FTP, at the prompt type: ftp nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov At the next prompt type: anonymous At the PASSWORD (NSSDCA.GSFC.GOV.ANONYMOUS) prompt hit: return At the next prompt type: get anon_dir:[000000.active.spx]spx.471 spx.471 Other subdirectories in [000000.active] carry many files of interest on science payload spacecraft. The bulletin may also be accessed through the World Wide Web (WWW). The URL is http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/spacewarn/spacewarn.html. Users are urged to submit their comments and suggestions for the improvement of this bulletin to SPACEWARN Bulletin, World Data Center-A for Rockets and Satellites, Code 633, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, U.S.A. Categories of Spacecraft To improve the effectiveness of international distribution of satellite and space probe information via the SPACEWARN system, spacecraft are identified in categories according to the urgency and detail of information needed by the scientific community as follows: CATEGORY 1: Spacecraft that carry essentially continuous telemetry or radio beacons, usually on frequencies less than 150 MHz. CATEGORY 2: GPS constellation of positioning/navigational spacecraft. CATEGORY 3: GLONASS constellation of positioning/navigational spacecraft. CATEGORY 4: Occasionally, a list of bright, orbiting objects of visual magnitude 4 or brighter. The bulletin also carries launch dates, international IDs, and USSPACECOM catalog numbers, followed by a brief outline of the payload and orbital parameters, re-entry of major objects, and miscellaneous sections. These data are based on launch announcements or on information received from individuals, launching authorities, FBIS and USSPACECOM telexes, and news magazines. Launch Organization Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) Spacecraft Mission Interaction between solar wind and Martian upper atmosphere