Re: RS17. info

["Bill Jones" <wejones@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Hi,
> 
> RS17 or SPUTNIK-40 stopped transmitting on 30 December 1997.  The 
> Keplerian elements are still being produced by NORAD.
> 
> A recent ones are -
> 
> Sputnik 40
> 1 24958U 97058C   98128.19529094  .00503316  11944-3  10162-2 0  2180
> 2 24958  51.6461 236.4958 0011402 318.9537  41.0615 15.98916690 29163
> 
> 
> 
> Sputnik 40              
> 1 24958U 97058C   98141.47161467  .63367770  12784-4  48295-3 0  2726
> 2 24958  51.6245 164.5505 0003515 335.2238  24.8527 16.52432061 31304
> 
> I have just downloaded the above one, which was quite a surprise.  
> Note the very high decay rate, and mean motion. Burn up must be 
> imminent, and this could  be the last element set.     
> 
> Its interesting to note the very rapid decay of RS-17 compared with 
> MIR, which had similar orbits when RS-17 was launched in November 1997.
> 
> You can get the latest Keplerian elements from -
> 
> http://celestrack.com/NORAD/elements/new-tle.txt
> 
> or by FTP from ftp://ftp.celestrack.com/pub/elements/
> 
> The files are about 40K long.  Once downloaded, its best to use a 
> text editor to search for the word SPUTNIK,  the catalogue number  
> 24958U, or object 97058C.
> 
 

The sputnik Jr was listed in the OIG thirty day list (ie soon to 
decay), but was listed as follows:

SPUTNIK JR    Decayed: 05/21/1998
1 24958U 97058C   98141.47161467  .63367770  12784-4  48295-3 0  2726
2 24958  51.6245 164.5505 0003515 335.2238  24.8527 16.52432061 31304

ie it sounds like it allready re-entered.  These keps are the same as 
the second set above, and must have been given to show the state just 
before re-entry or something.


+----------------------------------------------+
| Bill Jones, N3JLQ,Sweden, Maine  Zone 4 1/2  |
| wejones@megalink.net                         |
| http://www.megalink.net/~wejones             |
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