dna@dsd.UUCP (11/28/83)
Posted: Fri Nov 25, 1983 7:08 PM PST Msg: QGID-1667-4480 From: RDIERSING To: AMSAT Subj: STS-9 Elements Is the latest estimate for STS-9 elements posted anywhere? If not could someone give them to me. I was going to wait until the mission was actually in progress to post any elements to my BBS by my phone has been ringing off the wall with requests. Thanks. Posted: Fri Nov 25, 1983 9:03 PM PST Msg: FGID-1667-4629 From: VRIP To: RDIERSING CC: AMSAT Subj: STS-9 Orbital Elements Herewith enclosed the object of your affection: STS-9 orbital elements per KS5Y A/O 23 Nov 83 Ref Epoch 83 335.58209491 (MET 2d 21h 58m 13s; orbit #48) Inclination 57.01540 Right Ascension 193.1900 Eccentricity 0.000763 Argument of per. 355.91043 Mean Anomaly 4.08295 Mean Motion 16.10648 Drag Factor 0.002609 SMA 6623.16 Posted: Fri Nov 25, 1983 9:19 PM PST Msg: QGID-1667-4660 From: VRIP To: AMSAT Subj: STS-9 Correction In degarbling W9KDR's message on W5LFL's sked, an additional error apparently crept in. Please change orbit #74D to 72D. Rest of line OK. Orbit #s then run 71D, 72D, 92D, etc. Tks!
dna@dsd.UUCP (12/01/83)
Posted: Sun Nov 27, 1983 10:10 AM PST Msg: BGID-1667-6345 From: JREYMANN To: VRIP CC: AMSAT Subj: STS-9 Elements Rip, I note the drag factor is an order of magnitude different in this STS-9 element set. Any rationale for that? Also, the set is for epoch on orbit 48. Bernie's message shows earlier orbits usable in the western US. Is there any chance of getting an earlier epoch? 73, Skip, W6PAJ Posted: Sun Nov 27, 1983 10:12 AM PST Msg: DGID-1667-6347 From: JREYMANN To: ARRL CC: AMSAT Subj: STS-9 Sked Bernie, thanks for the operating sked for STS-9. I and many others locally appreciate it. We are all planning some mountaintopping. The earlier schedule showed only one pass on which Owen would be available from the western US. If this sked is the actual ham operating sked, there are now 9 orbits we can work. That seems like a tremendous increase in available time. Am I misinterpreting the data? 73, Skip, W6PAJ Posted: Mon Nov 28, 1983 10:07 AM PST Msg: CGID-1668-1434 From: TCLARK To: amsat Subj: W5LFL -- congratulations !!!! I watched the launch on NASA closed-circuit TV and was very proud of our newest satellite, "Oscar" Garriott. Best wishes to W5LFL for a very succesful mission. I only wish that W4KFC had lived to share today's excitement. Posted: Tue Nov 29, 1983 12:49 PM PST Msg: AGID-1669-2000 From: RDIERSING To: VRIP CC: AMSAT Subj: computing backwards Rip, Could you please mention something like the following on the nets: There have been a few comments that the preliminary element set given by W5RRR was a couple of days into the mission and thus later than some of the published orbits for communication with W5LFL. Users of any version of the W3IWI program are reminded that computations can be made for a days prior to the reference epoch by so specifying the date for beginning of the prediction period. (I have taken the beginning element set and computed backwards to the launch date and time. All of the AOS/LOS times for my location, 27.48N and 97.24W, are in close agreement with figures for CENTRAL U.S. orbits that were previously published. Of course my times are toward the beginning of the window for ascending passes and toward the end of the window for descending passes.) (There are a lot of folks out there who just decided to learn how to use their programs yesterday.) 73, Bob Posted: Tue Nov 29, 1983 2:51 PM PST Msg: IGID-1669-3188 From: PKARN To: amsat Subj: STS-9 Launch The launch of STS-9 was witnessed at the Press Site yesterday by KB2M and myself. I must admit that it was one of the most impressive things I've ever seen; after I've collected my thoughts I will attempt to write a more lucid description of what it looked like. It's very difficult to do so because it is so far outside the realm of everyday experience... Phil Posted: Tue Nov 29, 1983 2:51 PM PST Msg: MGID-1669-3192 From: PKARN To: amsat Subj: STS-9 drag In reference to the high drag factor on STS-9, yes, this is quite believable. The extremely low altitude, combined with the large cross-sectional area of the orbiter in certain attitudes (like belly first) causes this. There are a number of OMS burns scheduled during the mission to compensate for orbital decay. Unless we can get very frequent Keplerian elements, I think that tracking this thing with a gain antenna is going to be an exercise in luck. Phil Posted: Tue Nov 29, 1983 2:52 PM PST Msg: OGID-1669-3194 From: PKARN To: amsat Subj: STS-9 elements An actual element set current as of several hours ago has been posted to the ops bb. All numbers are correct except orbit number, which you should ignore. Phil Posted: Tue Nov 29, 1983 2:51 PM PST Msg: NGID-1669-3193 From: PKARN To: ops Subj: STS-9 elements Satellite: sts-9 Catalog number: 14523 Epoch time: 83333.59578650 Tue Nov 29 14:17:55.954 1983 UTC Element set: MH 11-29-83 Inclination: 57.0210 deg RA of node: 202.7920 deg Eccentricity: 0.0008415 Arg of perigee: 275.8170 deg Mean anomaly: 84.0300 deg Mean motion: 16.09484667 rev/day Decay rate: 0.00294794 rev/day^2 Epoch rev: 0 Semi major axis: 6626.029 km Anom period: 89.469631 min Apogee: 268.354 km Perigee: 257.202 km
dna@dsd.UUCP (12/08/83)
Posted: Wed Dec 7, 1983 7:07 AM PST Msg: SGID-1674-2798 From: PKARN To: amsat Subj: STS-9 MH 12-7-83 is now on 'ops'. That thing is coming down so fast that if they just waited for a few days, they wouldn't have to fire retrorockets! MH 12-7-83 AOS/LOS times for the last pass this morning showed a 45 second discrepancy with respect to MH 12-5-83, a set only two days old. With each new set, the updated times show the orbiter to be running early with respect to each old set; this means that the drag factors must be consistently too small. Phil Posted: Wed Dec 7, 1983 8:53 AM PST Msg: EGID-1674-3824 From: ARRL To: AMSAT CC: ARRL Subj: W1AW TWO WAY WITH W5LFL ON ORBIT 145 AT 8:37 E.S.T. W1AW WAS HEARD BY DR. OWEN GARRIOTT, ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA. WE WERE TRANSMITTING ON 145.090 ALTERNATING VOICE AND TONE MODULATED CODE. THANKS TO AMSAT FOR UPDATING THE ELEMENTS TO HELP THE GANG AT W1AW MAKE THIS HISTORICAL CONTACT. 73 BERNIE W9KDR. Posted: Wed Dec 7, 1983 10:18 AM PST Msg: TGID-1674-4499 From: ARRL To: AMSAT CC: ARRL Subj: W5LFL CONTACT THE FIRST MESSAGE EGID-1674-3824 SHOULD BE CHANGED TO READ; ON ORBIT 145 AT 9:37 E.S.T. W1AW WAS HEARD BY DR. OWEN GARRIOTT, ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA. SORRY ABOUT THE BLUNDER BUT I THINK MY BLOOD PRESSURE HAS BEEN RUNNING 50 OVER S-9 THIS MORNING. 73 BERNIE W9KDR. Posted: Wed Dec 7, 1983 7:07 AM PST Msg: RGID-1674-2797 From: PKARN To: ops Subj: STS-9 MH 12-7-83 Satellite: sts-9 Catalog number: 14523 Epoch time: 833B41.Y54513838E Wed Dec 7 13:04:59.956 1983 UTC Element set: MH 12-7-83 Inclination: 57.0140 deg RA of node: 164.9430 deg Eccentricity: 0.0005229 Arg of perigee: 326.0820 deg Mean anomaly: 97.8970 deg Mean motion: 16.13365400 rev/day Decay rate: 0.0051403 rev/day^2 Epoch rev: 143 Semi major axis: 6615.400 km Anom period: 89.254424 min Apogee: 245.399 km Perigee: 238.481 km Beacon: 145.5500 mhz