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Phobos-Grunt reentry – A quick guide for skywatchers

phobos-grunt-reentry-a-quick-guide-for-skywatchers

Before you start to use any of satellite tracking applications make sure that the computer clock is correct and the time zone is compatible with your Region. The latest Phobos-Grunt orbit data is here. Below are some important data.

USSPACECOM Catalog No.: 37872
International Designation Code: 2011-065-A
Launch Date: 2011-11-08
Launch Vehicle: Zenit
Launch Site: Tyuratam (Baikonur Cosmodrome), Kazakhstan
Mass: 730.0 kg
Nominal Power: 150.0 W
Intrinsic brightness (Mag): 4.5 (at 1000km distance, 50% illuminated)
Maximum brightness (Mag): -3.8 (at perigee, 100% illuminated)

 


The orbit data is extracted from the following two-line orbital elements (TLE):

1 37872U 11065A   12013.87144717  .01576755  12450-4  65173-4 0  3011 

2 37872 051.4148 000.5559 0020257 313.6808 046.2171 16.41416268 10664

Re-entry Estimates – all dates/times are UTC

2012 Jan 16, 07:00 ± 36 hrs

Issued 2012 Jan 9, 03:48

Seesat-L (Ted Molczan)

2012 Jan 15, 11:10 ± 10 hrs

Issued 2012 Jan 9, 16:00

Seesat-l (Harro Zimmer)

2012 Jan 16, 07:00 ± 32 hrs

Issued 2012 Jan 10, 06:34

Seesat-L (Ted Molczan)

2012 Jan 16, 08:30 ± 36 hrs

Issued 2012 Jan 10, 09:23

Aerospace CORDS

2012 Jan 15, 14:36 ± 72 hrs

Issued 2012 Jan 10, 21:20

Spacetrack (TIP)

2012 Jan 16, 18:00 ± 24 hrs

Issued 2012 Jan 11, 04:21

Seesat-L (Ted Molczan)

2012 Jan 15, 09:18 ± 36 hours

Issued 2012 Jan 11, 06:00

Roscosmos

2012 Jan 16, 02:36 ± 18 hrs

Issued 2012 Jan 11, 08:52

Aerospace CORDS

2012 Jan 15

Issued 2012 Jan 11

Spacetrack (60 day)

2012 Jan 15, 17:57 ± 20 hrs

Issued 2012 Jan 12, 08:20

Aerospace CORDS

2012 Jan 15, 12:00 ± 3 hrs

Issued 2012 Jan 12, 17:00

Seesat-L (Harro Zimmer)

2012 Jan 15, 17:09 ± 14.5 hrs

Issued 2012 Jan 12, 18:36

Spacetrack (TIP)

2012 Jan 15, 17:52 ± 504 min

Issued 2012 Jan 13, 10:40

Aerospace CORDS

2012 Jan 15, 17:05 ± 3 hrs

Issued 2012 Jan 13, 11:30

Seesat-L (Harro Zimmer)

2012 Jan 15, 16:22

Issued 2012 Jan 13

Roscosmos

2012 Jan 15, 17:34 ± 9 hrs

Issued 2012 Jan 13, 15:30

Spacetrack (TIP)

2012 Jan 15, 18:01 ± 8.5 hrs

Issued 2012 Jan 13, 15:30

Spacetrack (TIP) – correction?

2012 Jan 15, 17:51

Issued 2012 Jan 14, 06:00

Roscosmos


Here are some satellite tracking applications in real-time:

Heavens-Above

N2YO

Zarya

Satellite Flybys

SatWiev

Sat-Flare Tracker 3D

 CelesTrak

GoogleSat Track (LizardTail)

If you want to track Phobos-Grunt reentry on your Smartphone you can use this applications:

SimpleFlybys

Phobos-Grunt App


 

You may also download an interactive simulation of the PHOBOS-GRUNT re-entry scenario, which uses the free AGI Viewer software to allow you to explore the latest reentry prediction in more detail.

PHOBOS-GRUNT Re-entry Interactive Simulation

Featured image credit: AGI

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