[Neocp_artsats] C44GZR1 = C44EEK1 = ETBO; C44HG91 = Hakuto-R

Bill Gray pluto at projectpluto.com
Fri Feb 21 08:33:35 EST 2025


    C44GZR1,  currently on NEOCP,  links nicely to C44EEK1,  which was 
added to NEOCP on Feb 5 :

https://www.projectpluto.com/pluto/mpecs/c44gzr1.htm

    C44HG91 = Hakuto-R,  to my surprise.  Linked orbit at

https://www.projectpluto.com/pluto/mpecs/hakuto_r.htm

   I say "surprise" because this spacecraft had a lunar flyby on Feb 15, 
  and I _thought_ it was going to enter lunar orbit.  So I didn't even 
post updated ephems/TLEs for it.

    Had I done so,  it still would have wound up on NEOCP.  The 
post-flyby uncertainties were pretty high.

    I am unable to make much sense of the post-flyby orbit (doesn't come 
back around near the moon any time soon).  So perhaps the folks running 
the spacecraft were also surprised,  unpleasantly,  by their spacecraft 
failing to enter lunar orbit?  More data will be required (and will 
probably come in in the ordinary course of things.)

    I am unable to submit artsat IDs for these objects to MPC (out and 
about with a laptop lacking the relevant code... poor planning on my 
part),  but will submit them when I get home late tomorrow unless 
somebody beats me to it.

-- Bill



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