[Neocp_artsats] Various junk connections

[Bill Gray]

Hi folks,

    ATLAS has posted (as I write this) four artsats,  all probably ETBOs :

    A10YXDZ = A10Yz2p.  The latter was on NEOCP a few days ago and has 
been removed.  So we now have data for three nights on it,  confirming 
that it's an ETBO (AMR = 51.8 +/- 0.03 m^2/kg.)

    A10YXDY = ZTs0175.  Looks to be an ETBO,  and I'm posting TLEs for 
it on that basis,  but admit that it's not definitive (AMR = 45 +/- 50 
m^2/kg).   However,  the orbit is so much like that of A10YXDZ that I'm 
assuming all four objects are shards from the same ETBO that have had 
some time to separate.

    A10YXDV and A10YXDU have similar orbital elements to the first two. 
I don't have enough data to post TLEs for either.  There is a spread in 
inclination from about i=30 to i=35 among the objects,  and in ascending 
node from Om=337 to Om=345.

    We may have observed these guys before.  A10Y8MP,  observed over 
three days in mid-November,  has a similar orbit and may be one of them. 
  Or it might be a fifth object.  A10XrSw = A10XB90 = A10Wg15 from 
mid-October appears to be part of the group,  though the relationship 
from that far back is hard to assess.  It really is a bit like seeing a 
trash bag blown down the street,  and remembering having seeing one a 
few blocks ago headed the same way.  The connection is plausible,  but 
impossible to prove.

-- Bill