Opps! In my last note on the 10-28-11 satellite identification effort, I
miss-named E1P (Explorer-1 Prime) as AO-71. Aubiesat-1 is designated AO-71 by
AMSAT. E1P has not been assigned an AMSAT designation as yet. (Thanks to Drew
Glasbrenner, KO4MA for correction.)
The process of determining who is who from the six objects launched from
Vandenberg Air Force Base on 10-28-11 continues.
Colin Hurst, VK5HI, has provided the following comments:
"Discussions by Mike DK3WN, the University of Michigan Group, the Montana
State University and to a lesser extent myself have resulted in the
following.
The University of Michigan are confident that Object E is RAX-2
Mike, others and I have been successfully tracking RAX_2 with Object E.
The Montana State University are also confident that E1P is Object G based
on their commanding success with a large dish in California.
Again Mike and I are having good decoding success with Object G as E1P.
According to Mike, the rest is one big TLE lottery, which is frustrating to
all.
73
Colin VK5HI."
So far everyone who has weighed in on this, agrees that Object G is E1P
(Explorer-1 Prime,AO-71,CAT# 37855). RAX2 is probably Object E which is CAT#
37853. Objects C (Cat# 37851)and D (CAT# 37852) are possibly two non-amateur
DICE (Dynamic Ionosphere Cubesat Experiment) satellites. The identities of the
rest are, for now, awaiting for more data and more separation. Please remember
that the process of identifying which satellite is which object is very
difficult for this particular launch. I want to sincerely thank Scott Palo
(University of Colorado), Nico Janssen (PA0DLO), Colin Hurst (VK5HI) and Mike
(DK3WN) for sharing their expert analysis with us.
I solicit any comments or conclusions concerning the identities of our 10-28-11
satellite flock and will continue to relay those to the amateur satellite
commumity. For now, here are the current KEPs for Objects B through G:
OBJECTB
1 37850U 11061B 11327.79038309 .00000500 00000-0 51357-4 0 00233
2 37850 101.7009 269.4980 0257956 218.1773 140.1204 14.77851780003883
OBJECTC
1 37851U 11061C 11327.85808021 .00006371 00000-0 52321-3 0 274
2 37851 101.7055 269.5914 0254680 217.9064 140.3957 14.77877374 3899
OBJECTD
1 37852U 11061D 11328.87325156 .00006779 00000-0 55509-3 0 263
2 37852 101.7057 271.0632 0254662 215.0654 143.3542 14.77932765 4048
OBJECTE
1 37853U 11061E 11327.85695236 .00007607 00000-0 62180-3 0 00310
2 37853 101.6980 269.5785 0254268 218.1713 140.1233 14.77968587003903
OBJECTF
1 37854U 11061F 11327.85366001 .00007569 00000-0 60980-3 0 00331
2 37854 101.7018 269.5938 0256299 217.7333 140.5647 14.78166233003885
OBJECTG
1 37855U 11061G 11328.86939989 .00007205 00000-0 58369-3 0 262
2 37855 101.7047 271.0626 0255394 214.8976 143.5248 14.78147445 4038
The AMSAT KEPs are early this week because I will be out of town on the normal
Thursday distribution day. Next week we will be back to the Thursday evening
schedule.
The identification of the satellites launched 10-28-11 continues. Simply put,
we don't have enough separation to make a positive identification.
Nico Janssen, PA0DLO, has been analyzing various aspects of the satellite group
(grouping, radar cross section, and order of launch from rocket body). He
concludes that we need more time and separation to be sure. Nico's best
educated guess at this time is as follows:
Explorer 1 Prime is Object G, Cat # 37855
Aubiesat (AO-71) and M-cubed, are in the same group as Objects E and F
The two DICE satellites (commercial, non amateur) are Objects C and D
RAX2 is Object B, Cat # 37850
Nico reminds us that this is a best guess and only time will tell who is who.
Thanks Nico for sharing your thoughts with us. As Sherlock Holmes would say,
"Well done, Watson."
Here are this weeks KEPs for our perplexing flock:
OBJECTB
1 37850U 11061B 11314.31682443 .00000489 00000-0 51357-4 0 00169
2 37850 101.7053 249.9601 0255846 255.5306 101.7516 14.77614148001891
OBJECTC
1 37851U 11061C 11317.83772545 .00009599 00000-0 78565-3 0 00253
2 37851 101.7037 255.0640 0254660 246.5170 110.9070 14.77729084002420
OBJECTD
1 37852U 11061D 11318.85323228 .00010618 00000-0 86612-3 0 174
2 37852 101.7048 256.5342 0254778 243.6020 113.8822 14.77773735 2564
OBJECTE
1 37853U 11061E 11317.83714479 .00010430 00000-0 85168-3 0 00441
2 37853 101.6978 255.0557 0254457 246.6876 110.7358 14.77795553002421
OBJECTF
1 37854U 11061F 11318.51214050 .00011655 00000-0 93205-3 0 203
2 37854 101.7001 256.0511 0257496 245.1384 112.2875 14.78001563 2507
OBJECTG
1 37855U 11061G 11318.85081525 .00010458 00000-0 84381-3 0 171
2 37855 101.7008 256.5373 0255959 243.3435 114.1347 14.77981238 2550
The six satellites launched on 10-28-2011 by NASA apparently have not separated
enough to clearly distinguish who is who. They are currently known in the
SpaceTrack listing as Objects B though G. One of these called DICE is not an
amateur satellite.
I will run this email each week until all have been identified. I earnestly
solicit any help in identifying our newest satellites. Here is the identity
list as I know it at this time:
RAX2 - Thought to be OBJECT E (Cat # 37853) (Thanks to Scott Palo, Unniversity
of Colorado)
ABIESAT-1 - Cat # ?
M-CUBED - Cat # ?
EXPLORER-1 [PRIME] - Designated as AO-71 by AMSAT -Cat # ?
DICE - Non-Amateur - Cat # ?
Satellite #6 - (I don't have a name for this one????)
Here are the current KEPs for OBJECTS B through G
OBJECTB
1 37850U 11061B 11313.77511235 .00000490 00000-0 51357-4 0 00159
2 37850 101.7029 249.1733 0256161 257.2480 099.9666 14.77612623001817
OBJECTC
1 37851U 11061C 11313.91055354 .00008702 00000-0 71309-3 0 00355
2 37851 101.7034 249.3711 0255309 257.6700 099.5818 14.77649682001847
OBJECTD
1 37852U 11061D 11313.91051307 .00009729 00000-0 79621-3 0 00300
2 37852 101.7021 249.3683 0255053 257.8369 099.4153 14.77666523001845
OBJECTE
1 37853U 11061E 11314.85805854 .00009960 00000-0 81494-3 0 149
2 37853 101.6973 250.7408 0254584 255.1784 102.1089 14.77731581 1973
OBJECTF
1 37854U 11061F 11313.77327247 .00010702 00000-0 86602-3 0 00316
2 37854 101.7010 249.1760 0255818 257.9778 099.2689 14.77891710001809
OBJECTG
1 37855U 11061G 11313.84108831 .00010157 00000-0 82189-3 0 00254
2 37855 101.7012 249.2767 0256124 257.7024 099.5396 14.77872197001810