It is unlikely that USA 161 is simply another Improved Crystal. USA 129 was launched in ?1996 so there have been significant advances in CCD and AO technology, reductions in size and mass of electronic control components as well as computing and comms hardware. Power demands are probably the same. Also note that USA 161 is launched at solar maximum whilst USA 116 and 129 were launched at lower solar activity levels. Hence the orbit is probably modified to reduce atmospheric drag and reduce propellant expenditure, particularly when the satellite will have a shake down period of several weeks and not be involved in the current activity as some of the media have been suggesting. pj ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kevin Fetter" <kevin_fetter@hotmail.com> To: <seesat-l@satobs.org> Sent: 06 October 2001 07:36 Subject: new keyhole > Yesterday a new satellite was placed into orbit. It is thought to be a > keyhole sat, since the usa 116 spacecraft orbit put it near the launch area > at the time of launch. > > But it is going into a strange orbit. > > According to aviation week, it was going into a 290*1000 km orbit. > > http://www.aviationnow.com/content/publication/awst/20011008/aw68b.htm > > Interesting! > > Has anyone tried a program called find_orb and tried its auto solve option, > so you don't have to play round with the orbit like with fitelem. I have > tried to use fitelem and others like it, but I don't understand them at all. > > Find_orb can be found here. > > http://www.projectpluto.com/find_orb.htm > > > Kevin > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp > > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > Unsubscribe from SeeSat-L by sending a message with 'unsubscribe' > in the SUBJECT to SeeSat-L-request@lists.satellite.eu.org > http://www.satellite.eu.org/seesat/seesatindex.html > ----------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe from SeeSat-L by sending a message with 'unsubscribe' in the SUBJECT to SeeSat-L-request@lists.satellite.eu.org http://www.satellite.eu.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sat Oct 06 2001 - 17:01:54 EDT