SPX-538 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 August 1998 and 31 August 1998.) A. List of New International Designations and Launch Dates (UT). (USSPACECOM Catalog numbers are in parentheses.) 1998-050A (25462) ASTRA 2A 30 Aug 1998-049A (25460) ST 1 25 Aug 1998-048B (25432) IRIDIUM 76 19 Aug 1998-048A (25431) IRIDIUM 03 19 Aug 1998-047A (25429) SOYUZ-TM 28 13 Aug 1998-046H (25420) ORBCOMM-FM 17 02 Aug 1998-046G (25419) ORBCOMM-FM 18 02 Aug 1998-046F (25418) ORBCOMM-FM 19 02 Aug 1998-046E (25417) ORBCOMM-FM 20 02 Aug 1998-046D (25416) ORBCOMM-FM 16 02 Aug 1998-046C (25415) ORBCOMM-FM 15 02 Aug 1998-046B (25414) ORBCOMM-FM 14 02 Aug 1998-046A (25413) ORBCOMM-FM 13 02 Aug B. Text of Launch Announcements. 1998-050A Astra 2A is a European (Luxembourg-registered) geosynchronous communications spacecraft that was launched by a Proton-K rocket from Baikonur at 00:31 UT. It will provide voice and video communications to Europe through its 32 Ku-band transponders after parking over 28.2-E longitude. 1998-049A ST 1 is a Singapore/Taiwan (ROC) geosynchronous communications spacecraft that was launched by an Ariane 44P rocket from Kourou at 11:07 UT. The 3,200 kg satellite carries 16 Ku-band and 14 C-band transponders to provide voice and video communications to the Pacific rim and East-Asian countries, after parking at 88-E longitude. 1998-048B, IRIDIUM 76 and IRIDIUM 03 are the latest launches to enable 1998-048A fulfillment of the IRIDIUM series; they replace the failed satellites in the series. They were launched by a Long March 2C rocket from Taiyuan launch center in the northern province of Shanxi at 21:01 UT. The IRIDIUM series is intended to provide links from and to telephones located far away from cellular areas. The initial orbital parameters of both were period 98 min, apogee 635 km, perigee 612 km, and inclination 86.4 deg. 1998-047A SOYUZ-TM 28 is a Russian cosmonaut-transporting vehicle that was launched to carry three cosmonauts to the MIR station; two of them will stay in MIR for 201 days. It was launched by a Soyuz-U rocket from Baykonur at 09:43 UT. It was docked manually with MIR at 10:56 UT on 15 August 1998, after automatically moving within ten meters from the station. Initial orbital parameters were period 92 min, apogee 364 km, perigee 362 km, and inclination 51.7 deg. 1998-046H, ORBCOMM-FM 17, 18, 19, 20, 16, 15, 14, and 13 are the latest 046G,046F, additions to the ORBCOMM fleet of relaying satellites. The fleet will 046E,046D, provide links between mobile or fixed telephones and their 046C,046B, remote counterparts. Initial orbital parameters of all were period 046A 101 min, apogee 826 km, perigee 816 km, and inclination 45 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 1998-026D (25322) R/B Long March 27 Aug 1998-010F (25174) R/B Delta 2 27 Aug 1998-004A (25146) SOYUZ TM-27 25 Aug 1992-019C (21932) R/B of NAVSTAR 25 16 Aug 1998-047B (25430) SOYUZ-U 15 Aug 1997-071C (25051) R/B Ariane 44L 06 Aug 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.) In SPX-537 COSMOS 2360 was reported to belong to the Tselnia series; the correct spelling is Tselina. 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