[amsat-bb] Re: AO-40 returning to 0/0

[Estes Wayne-W10191 <W10191@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The approximate AO40 alon/alat schedule was announced back in December:

Date         Alon Alat  

2002 Jan 08   300  -10  
2002 Jan 15   300   -5  
2002 Jan 22   300    0  
2002 Feb 19   320    0  
2002 Mar 19   340    0  
2002 Apr 13   360    0  

Note that this prediction shows alon improvement of about 0.8 degrees per day, not 1 degree per day.  The last 3 alon/alat updates from AMSAT-DL also show an improvement of about 0.8 degree per day.    So I presume that alon will continue to improve about 0.8 degree per day until it reaches alon/alat=0/0.
 
Note that the latest alon/alat update from AMSAT-DL (330/0 on 12 March) is about 5 days "behind" the original prediction.  If it continues to improve at 0.8 degrees per day, AO40 would reach alon/alat 0/0 on about 18 April.  As a practical matter, the access time will be extremely good a week before AO40 reaches 0/0.

I look forward to working HB0 on AO40.  That would be a new one for me.

Wayne Estes W9AE
Mundelein, IL, USA
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