New Flasher: 04-037C

I just caught 04037C. The bird is flashing approximately fifteen
times per minute. It's a Zenit-2/SL-08 upper stage, and H-A gives
its orbital altitude as approximately 1500 km. Given that it's
flashing only one-sixth as quickly as the last Zenit-2 booster,
and is in a considerably higher orbit, I'd guess that it had less
residual fuel to vent. (Do the Russians fill the tanks all the
way on these stages?)

--Bill Thompson

Hi,



SL-08 is actually a COSMOS 3M, not a ZENIT 2 (SL-16)



pj





"William R. Thompson" wrote in message
...
I just caught 04037C. The bird is flashing approximately fifteen
times per minute. It's a Zenit-2/SL-08 upper stage, and H-A gives
its orbital altitude as approximately 1500 km. Given that it's
flashing only one-sixth as quickly as the last Zenit-2 booster,
and is in a considerably higher orbit, I'd guess that it had less
residual fuel to vent. (Do the Russians fill the tanks all the
way on these stages?)

--Bill Thompson

Paul Henney wrote:

Hi,

SL-08 is actually a COSMOS 3M, not a ZENIT 2 (SL-16)

Thanks; I should have known better than to rely on my memory.

--Bill Thompson