Beidou-2, "Compass-M3&M4", CZ-3B, Xichang, April 29 2012

• #60 by input~2 on 10 May, 2012 05:06
• The perigees of new Objects A and B have been raised:
  
  Object A:
  May 9@0817UTC: 21460 x 21594 km x 55.16°
  
  Object B:
  May 9@0129UTC: 21456 x 21601 km x 55.11°
  
  with the following Object reshuffling:
  old Object A becomes new Object C
  old Object B becomes new Object D
  old Object C becomes new Object A
  old Object D becomes new Object B
• #61 by LaurelCat on 10 May, 2012 22:08
• Quote from: jcm on 06 May, 2012 21:46

  Quote from: input~2 on 02 May, 2012 06:09

  AFAIU, CALT calls the SPELDA-like adaptor "dual satellite connecting external support structure" (双星串联外支撑结构) could be abbreviated as "DSCESS"
  (source)
  

  
  I'm not sure about the translation of 串联 (chuanlian) - possibly "serial" as opposed to "parallel" ?
  
  I get   'shuanxing chuanlian wai zhicheng jiegou'  (SCWZJ) if you want to play that game (or if we are going to copy SPELDA, perhaps we should use French..)
  

  
  串联 (chuanlian) = in tandem configuration
• #62 by input~2 on 11 May, 2012 10:17
• According to a report published on Beidou website, after 3 orbit changes on May 5 and 6 MEO3 and MEO4 entered their preset orbits and are working nominally.
  (source)
• #63 by input~2 on 11 May, 2012 18:15
• USSTRATCOM has now identified the 4 objects as:
• 38250/2012-018A BEIDOU M3
  
• 38251/2012-018B BEIDOU M4
  38252/2012-018C CZ-3B R/B (ie 3rd stage)
  
• 38253/2012-018D CZ-3B DEB (ie adaptor)
  
  The 3rd stage's radar cross section is said to be 3.415mē  much less than that of  the adaptor at 7.7509mē ; this is surprising when looking at the respective size of the 2 objects