Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ncrlnk!ncr-sd!hp-sdd!hplabs!decwrl!ucbvax!husc6!cfa!cfa250!mcdowell
From: mcdowell@cfa250.harvard.edu (Jonathan McDowell)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Atlantis orbit
Message-ID: <1162@cfa237.cfa250.harvard.edu>
Date: 17 Nov 88 15:33:20 GMT
References: <1150@scicom.alphacdc.com>
Organization: Harvard/Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Lines: 12

From article <1150@scicom.alphacdc.com>, by wats@scicom.alphacdc.com (Bruce Watson):
> It occurred to me that the Spysat to the launched from Atlantis
> may be going into geostationary orbit.  

That's not what it's rumoured to be designed for. All the large optical
recon craft go into LEO, the KH-9 at about 100-200 km and the KH-11
at about 300-500 km. I would bet the KH-12 will be about 400 km
so it will last a long time without using too much fuel.

BTW, Dec 1 has been announced as the new target.

Jonathan McDowell