[FPSPACE] More about the new Jianbing launch

[Phillip Clark]

Jonathan McDowell has raised the question as to whther the use of the CZ-2C might indicate that the new Chinese launch might be an older-generation satellite: FSW-1 or even FSW-0.   If there are no manoeuvres then this will bear out the idea.

The orbital data look to be a throw-back as well: the last time that the recoverable Jianbing satellites had such high apogees was with the first three launches in 1975-1978 (data based upon the USSSN TLEs):-

==========================================================================
Catalogue      Orbital      Orbital    Orbital  Perigee    Apogee   Arg of
  Number        Epoch     Inclination   Period                     Perigee
                              deg         min      km        km      deg
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2004-033A
28402       2004 Aug 29.43   63.00       91.10      166       491    141
28402       2004 Aug 29.52   63.00       91.10      166       491    141

2004-033B   CZ-2C second stage
28403       2004 Aug 29.50   63.00       91.04      164       487    141
==========================================================================

As well as the lack of manoeuvres, the idea of this being an older-generation satellite brought out of storage would be strengthened if the flight was for ~5 days (the later FSW-0 satellites) or for ~8 days (FSW-1 satellites which used much more circular orbits).   The FSW-2 series flew for ~14 days.


Phillip Clark

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