Trying to identify satilite.

This is the second time I've seen this fast of a satilite, which must be in a low earth orbit. I tried to identify it with limited google Sat. track resorse. The time and location was satellite position 28"36'n. 80"48"w. 6:15 a.m. E.S.T. 4-9-12. The object was or seemed to be traveling twice the speed of a normal satalite such as the Hubble or Space Station. Both times observed it was traveling due east. Very odd phenominon to me as I have watched satallites for years. Could any one I.D. this?
Thanks....

www.heavens-above.com...

Possibly the HST.

reply to post by spikester


That's the NRO sat they just launched two days ago. Don't advertise its position or you may get a visit from the men in black.

reply to post by Patriotsrevenge


I know it was not the HST...and if it was the Govs. it was in a low orbit due to it was moving fast! I guess most space vehicles do the 17000 mph speed limit?
Delta 4 launches NRO satellite
Posted: Wed, Apr 4, 2012, 7:14 AM ET (1114 GMT)
A Delta 4 rocket placed a classified military satellite into orbit on Tuesday. The Delta 4 Medium-Plus (5,2) lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 7:12 pm EDT (2312 GMT) Tuesday on a mission designated NROL-25 for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). United Launch Alliance (ULA) declared the launch a success, but neither it nor NRO provided additional details about the mission. Analysts believe the rocket was carrying a radar imaging satellite, based on the rocket's trajectory. The launch was the first for this variant of the Delta 4, which uses a five-meter payload fairing and two solid strap-on boosters.

reply to post by spikester


Yeah, just watched the Space Station go over, prob. was a Military satillite I've been seeing. Thanks yall!
See ya!

reply to post by spikester


Very good catch!

I plugged the location and time information into Heavens-Above.
Sure enough, the third stage of a Chinese rocket booster passed over your position between 6:12am and 6:15am this morning and was 1st magnitude bright.



CZ-3 Stage 3 - Information
Identification USSPACECOM Catalog No.: 20474
International Designation Code: 1990-011-B

Satellite Details Orbit: 241 x 29,136 km, 30.0°
Category: Rocket Body
Country/Org. of Origin: PRC
Intrinsic brightness (Mag): 3.7 (at 1000km distance, 50% illuminated)
Maximum brightness (Mag): -2.5 (at perigee, 100% illuminated)
Launch Date (UTC): February 4, 1990

The important thing to notice is that it's in a highly elliptical orbit: 241 x 29,136 km.
As you said, objects in [mostly circular] low Earth orbit move at around 17,000 mph, and can stay in view for up to 10 minutes. When you saw it, this thing was close to perigee and moving much faster (I'll have to do some math to see how fast). It only stayed in view for 3 minutes.

Awesome! I wish I could see that...

reply to post by Saint Exupery
Thanks! That is awsome! I now have a reason for the quickness of these sats. They have an eccentric orbit that brings them closer to the earth at times and appear to be or are traveling faster than a sat. at a rounder orbit. COOL! and thanks again St. E.