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MESSENGER orbital elements (epoch is at each
segment's midpoint) as of 17 March 2008 |
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Initial Event |
Final Event |
Keplerian Elements (defined below the table) in Sun-Centered Mean-of-J2000 Ecliptic Coordinates |
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Date and Time (UTC) |
Date and Time (UTC) |
a (AU) |
e |
i (deg) |
Ω
(deg) |
ω
(deg) |
MA i (deg) |
MA f (deg) |
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Detumble |
TCM-1 |
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03-Aug-2004 07:27:47 |
24-Aug-2004 21:00:07 |
1.00124769 |
0.076000037 |
6.37291 |
310.96299 |
255.64018 |
96.08626 |
117.30010 |
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TCM-1 |
TCM-2 |
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24-Aug-2004 21:00:07 |
24-Sep-2004 18:00:00 |
1.00025305 |
0.076271987 |
6.35108 |
310.90212 |
254.94757 |
118.09021 |
148.50922 |
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TCM-2 |
TCM-3 |
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24-Sep-2004 18:00:00 |
18-Nov-2004 19:30:00 |
1.00006905 |
0.076413550 |
6.34760 |
310.86782 |
254.87180 |
148.62634 |
202.89074 |
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TCM-3 |
TCM-5 |
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18-Nov-2004 19:30:00 |
23-Jun-2005 14:30:00 |
0.99999686 |
0.076563122 |
6.34757 |
310.85410 |
254.86427 |
202.92146 |
56.59400 |
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TCM-5 |
TCM-6 |
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23-Jun-2005 14:30:00 |
21-Jul-2005 18:00:01 |
1.00307411 |
0.076879002 |
6.35447 |
310.78090 |
254.93545 |
56.13919 |
84.70919 |
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TCM-6 |
Earth Flyby |
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21-Jul-2005 18:00:01 |
02-Aug-2005 19:13:08 |
1.00073173 |
0.077559813 |
6.40539 |
310.68859 |
255.29239 |
83.94500 |
95.80931 |
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Earth Flyby |
TCM-9 |
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02-Aug-2005 19:13:08 |
12-Dec-2005 11:30:00 |
0.80890445 |
0.254969749 |
2.53035 |
130.30660 |
2.08998 |
176.83906 |
355.22996 |
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TCM-9 |
TCM-10 |
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12-Dec-2005 11:30:00 |
22-Feb-2006 16:00:00 |
0.82928590 |
0.273176968 |
2.57946 |
130.17493 |
1.80424 |
355.66238 |
89.87513 |
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TCM-10 |
TCM-11 |
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22-Feb-2006 16:00:00 |
12-Sep-2006 23:00:00 |
0.82923356 |
0.273232696 |
2.57947 |
130.17586 |
1.78689 |
89.88928 |
353.92748 |
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TCM-11 |
TCM-12 |
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12-Sep-2006 23:00:00 |
05-Oct-2006 22:30:00 |
0.82933581 |
0.273279781 |
2.57972 |
130.17548 |
1.78288 |
353.92937 |
23.91704 |
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TCM-12 |
Venus Flyby 1 |
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05-Oct-2006 22:30:00 |
24-Oct-2006 08:34:00 |
0.82948991 |
0.273427405 |
2.57977 |
130.17936 |
1.78382 |
23.90568 |
47.93624 |
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Venus Flyby 1 |
TCM-13 |
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24-Oct-2006 08:34:00 |
02-Dec-2006 21:00:00 |
0.72262040 |
0.244658760 |
8.17246 |
46.54461 |
57.84991 |
75.91206 |
139.31863 |
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TCM-13 |
TCM-15 |
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02-Dec-2006 21:00:00 |
25-Apr-2007 17:30:00 |
0.72325726 |
0.244070953 |
8.16135 |
46.49669 |
58.11426 |
137.43379 |
9.54656 |
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TCM-15 |
TCM-16 |
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25-Apr-2007 17:30:00 |
25-May-2007 16:00:00 |
0.72329967 |
0.244102341 |
8.16127 |
46.49223 |
58.11411 |
9.54515 |
57.50030 |
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TCM-16 |
Venus Flyby 2 |
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25-May-2007 16:00:00 |
05-Jun-2007 23:08:19 |
0.72340047 |
0.244271182 |
8.16396 |
46.47852 |
58.13654 |
57.50278 |
103.50982 |
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Venus Flyby 2 |
TCM-18 |
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05-Jun-2007 23:08:19 |
17-Oct-2007 22:00:00 |
0.53857757 |
0.383581489 |
6.77134 |
50.30790 |
356.38575 |
142.77792 |
116.80578 |
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TCM-18 |
TCM-19 |
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17-Oct-2007 22:00:00 |
19-Dec-2007 22:00:00 |
0.53442413 |
0.391740388 |
6.79887 |
50.13707 |
355.64116 |
117.54538 |
276.47891 |
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TCM-19 |
Mercury Flyby 1 |
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19-Dec-2007 22:00:00 |
14-Jan-2008 23:08:19 |
0.53442413 |
0.391714040 |
6.79802 |
50.12882 |
356.64574 |
276.47996 |
341.76142 |
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Mercury Flyby 1 |
TCM-23 |
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14-Jan-2008 19:04:39 |
19-Mar-2008 19:30:00 |
0.50663630 |
0.381599938 |
6.92133 |
49.03305 |
6.49836 |
336.76142 |
154.06861 |
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a (AU) = semi-major axis in Astronomical Units … 1 AU is the average Earth-Sun distance |
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e = eccentricity (0.0 for a circle, increases toward 1.0 as orbit becomes more oval or ellipse shaped) |
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i = inclination (measure of spacecraft orbit tilt relative to Earth's orbit around the Sun) |
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Ω = longitude of ascending node
(counterclockwise measure in Earth's orbit plane from vernal equinox
direction to spacecraft "ascending" orbit crossing |
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ω = argument of perihelion
(counterclockwise measure along orbit from ascending node to the closest
point to the Sun) |
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MA = mean anomaly (measure of orbital position, counterclockwise positive with 0 degrees at perihelion, 180 degrees at aphelion - farthest point from Sun) |
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MA subscripts = i for initial event, f for final event |
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