Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site decwrl.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!prls!amdimage!amdcad!decwrl!fisher@wsgate.DEC (Burns Fisher, MRO3-1/E13, DTN 231-4108.) From: fisher@wsgate.DEC (Burns Fisher, MRO3-1/E13, DTN 231-4108.) Newsgroups: net.space Subject: Spy satellite reentry? Message-ID: <3654@decwrl.UUCP> Date: Thu, 15-Aug-85 10:20:13 EDT Article-I.D.: decwrl.3654 Posted: Thu Aug 15 10:20:13 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 19-Aug-85 20:55:14 EDT Sender: daemon@decwrl.UUCP Organization: Digital Equipment Corp., Palo Alto, CA Lines: 25 <> Has anyone heard of a polar orbiting satellite (spy, weather, etc) reentry about 2345 12-AUG-85 EDT? (0445 13-AUG UT???) I was out looking for Perseids meteors when I saw what appeared to be a very large meteor going approx. South to North. It was much brighter than Jupiter, which was also visible. It left a noticable trail behind it for several seconds, it covered about 45 degrees of arc in 3 to 5 seconds, and I heard nothing. There appeared to be pieces breaking off, although I would not swear to this. At first I thought it was just an unusually large meteor, but was I saw more "real" meteors in the next 15-20 minutes, I began to wonder. The big one was not going anywhere near a radial direction from Perseus, while the others were to some extent. The S-N direction made me think it might be a polar orbitting satellite, and the fact that it would reenter made me think it would be in a fairly low orbit, and thus probably a spy satellite. Any comments or ideas? Burns UUCP: ... {decvax|allegra|ucbvax}!decwrl!rhea!dvinci!fisher ARPA: fisher%dvinci.dec@decwrl.ARPA