[Neocp_artsats] A11cbVV = A11c8HQ = A11aDOM = ETBO

Bill Gray pluto at projectpluto.com
Wed Oct 2 10:29:17 EDT 2024


    A11aDOM was found on September 4 and posted to NEOCP.  It looked 
like junk (clear geocentric solutions with a low-inclination orbit, 
high eccentricity,  and orbital period suspiciously close to one day). 
But we only had three observations over 22 minutes,  and heliocentric 
solutions could fit the data with a moderate degree of ugliness in the 
residuals.  I added it to the list of "suspects" (objects where I think 
something with similar inclination and ascending node might appear days 
or months later).

    A11c8HQ was posted to NEOCP yesterday,  and seemed likely to be 
artificial with an inclination,  ascending node,  and argument of 
perigee resembling those for A11aDOM.  With 27 days in between,  though, 
  you could fit 25 to 29 orbits during that time,  for five very 
different solutions.  I tried them,  thinking there might be other 
tracklets that would fit with and confirm the "correct" solution.  There 
weren't.

    A11cbVV was posted to NEOCP this morning,  and very clearly linked 
to A11c8HQ and removed the ambiguity,  resulting in a solid linkage. 
These still appear to be the only three tracklets we have for this object.

    I've taken the usual steps for a newly linked piece of junk (posted 
TLEs to GitHub,  sent an ID to MPC,  and updated the list of 'artsats 
previously on NEOCP' on my Sat_ID2 page.)

-- Bill



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