Satgen 597 Sat Information 3 by GM4IHJ (BID SGEN597) 2000-09-02 Satgens 595 and 596 reported sources of satellite information of use to observers of amateur, military and commercial space craft. These sources cover, launches, orbital elements, variations in orbit after launch and some details of satellite failures and destructions. But they do not give very much detail. For those who need more than this , there are several sources, but they are not free, and some of them treat space activity as of secondary interest , giving priority to reporting aeronautical as opposed to space activity. SPACEFLIGHT published by the British Interplanetary Society is relatively unique in its concentration on space topics and it has several excellent features which report in considerable depth across the whole field of space activity. Notable amongst these are :- Space News Round Up by Tim Furniss which provides :- An excellent guide to forthcoming, present and past launches. Developement of new space hardware. Proposals and trials of new space propulsion technology. Details of ongoing Space shots. Astronaut Briefs. Contrasting sharply with the general coverage of the above . Space flight also carries a monthly Satellite Digest review by Phillip Clark. Which is a must if you want to keep a catalogue of all satellite activity . It lists :- Details of each succesive months launches. Descriptive notes reporting just what each of the vehicles in the above launches are meant to do, and, have, or have not, done. A section of Additions and Up dates reporting in considerable detail any changes in the status of satellites or space vehicles. Including orbit modifications and more important, the reasons for these orbit changes. Plus full details of planned, or actually executed deorbits and re entries, planned or otherwise. The Digest also attempts to sort out the considerably muddled status of the many somewhat errant military space craft. Which the military sometimes seem to launch in a fire and forget mode or double up by appearing to locate two satellites in the same place , then a short time later report that they are far apart. Data which is a must if you are an observer or photographer of your part of the geostationary arc. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL and, AVIATION and SPACE WEEK, are prestigious publications which while they concentrate mostly on reporting the aeroplane scene, do regularly comment in depth on space topics . They are however somewhat expensive, unless you can persuade a friend to buy them or can read them in your local public library. All the above sources described in this and the previous two satgens are worth keeping as personal copies, even if you get them long after their publication date.