RE: [amsat-bb] P3D Best Guess Catalog Numbers

["Bill T Bard" <wtba@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Below are the latest elements from OIG. It appears that AO-40's catalog
number lies from 26608 to 26614. It has been pointed out that the prime
object (26608) matches the elements provided for AO-40. If the AO-40
elements provided are prelaunch, they were probably indeed for the prime
payload, PAS-1R.

I think the international designators are assigned in the order they are
deployed. The A is the prime payload, the B should be the booster, the C &
D should be the two micro satellites, the E the covering over AO-40 (I
assume that was deployed separately), and the F would be AO-40 for a total
of 6 objects from the launch. It appears there are 7 numbers allocated for
launch so there might be another piece from the launch. Until the objects
separate and it either becomes obvious which object is which from the orbit
and radar return or until the users verify which object is theirs, the
different objects are commonly mixed up. The larger objects should be
detectable first so the A and E object may be the satellite and booster.

Hopefully some ranging data can be collected and elements derived from
that. Otherwise it may be difficult for a while to determine what's what
until they all drift far enough apart.

Bill Bard


UNK
1 26608U 00072A   00321.82328434 -.00000350  00000-0  00000+0 0    24
2 26608   6.4565 247.3206 7352248 176.6503 195.5066  2.01649980    15
26609  No TLE found.
26610  No TLE found.
26611  No TLE found.
UNK
1 26612U 00072E   00321.82304757 -.00000462  00000-0  00000+0 0    14
2 26612   6.4379 247.2230 7334220 176.4661 203.2617  2.04513779    10
26613  No TLE found.
26614  No TLE found.
PROGRESS-M1 4
1 26615U 00073A   00322.23806827  .00099770  15808-4  15675-3 0    56
2 26615  51.5731  82.1296 0010393 184.7240 175.2922 16.03680573   191
SL-04 R/B
1 26616U 00073B   00322.34309366  .07974182  12344-4  70315-3 0   190
2 26616  51.6384  81.4048 0011114  91.3036 268.9251 16.38133699   210
26617  No TLE found.


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