[FPSPACE] Bei Dou 2 location

[Phillip Clark]

Any China-watchers on this list interested ?

USSPACECOM seems to have "lost" Bei Dou 2 for a few days, issuing orbital
data for the CZ-3A third stage under the satellite's
designator.   However, the latest orbital data shows that the satellite is
located over 80 deg E, one of the two locations which I predicted about a
week or so ago.

Why this location rather than 110.5 deg E ?   My guess is that with BD1
over 140 deg E and BD2 over 80 deg E, the Chinese have one satellite in
each of the two "extreme" locations for the system, giving them the
longest baseline which they planned.   Better for the initial test
programme.   Also, 110.5 deg E has a Chinese comsat working, while the two
BD locations which are used have never had a Chinese satellite: maybe the
presence of a Chinese comsat could introduce an unnecessary complication
while testing the system ?

Well done China ! - more power to your collective elbows, as we say over
here.   Right now their programme seems to be going from strength to
strength, although I am sure that some will claim that the Chinese are
only able to do such things because "they spied on other countries" which
is an unsult to the Chinese engineers.

Phillip Clark

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Phillip S Clark                                     22 Winterbourne Close
Molniya Space Consultancy                           Hastings
Compiler/Publisher, Worldwide Satellite Launches    E Sussex  TN34 1XG
                                                    U.K.

Specialist in "space archeology" - the older and more obscure the more 
interesting it is !
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