[Neocp_artsats] C1N7CE1 = 2020 XA1 = Spektr-RG

Bill Gray pluto at projectpluto.com
Mon Dec 7 10:17:12 EST 2020


    Spektr-RG is out at the Earth-Sun L2 point,  and (as L2 artsats must)
maneuvers every two or three months to stay "balanced" at that point.
Usually,  we catch some data on it a bit after the maneuvers and I update
the TLEs for it to match.  I had done so five times this year.

    It appears to have maneuvered a sixth time,  on 24 November.  I
actually should have known;  (U71) and (T08) got it in the next few
days,  a few arcminutes off prediction.  (Though those observations
wouldn't have been enough to let me compute updated TLEs.)  By last
night,  it was a quarter degree off and the motion was different enough
for Sat_ID to fail to get it.  Which led to several telescopes chasing
it,  and it being designated as minor planet 2020 XA1 on MPEC 2020-X45.

    As a result of the C1N7CE1 = 2020 XA1 observations,  though,  we now
have good data on the object,  and I've updated the TLEs accordingly.
We should have no problems with it (until it moves again in a few months).

-- Bill




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