Rotation Period

01 Jan 2021 = 766 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
02 Jan 2021 = 714 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
03 Jan 2021 = 677 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
04 Jan 2021 = 626 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
05 Jan 2021 = 582 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
06 Jan 2021 = 557 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
07 Jan 2021 = 547 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)

AO-73 continues to spin about the Z-Z axis with minimal Nutation.

73 de Colin VK5HI.

Rotation Period

25 Dec 2020 = 820 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
26 Dec 2020 = 815 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
27 Dec 2020 = 805 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
28 Dec 2020 = 823 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
29 Dec 2020 = 808 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
30 Dec 2020 = 839 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
31 Dec 2020 = 808 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)

AO-73 continues to spin about the Z-Z axis with minimal Nutation.

73 de Colin VK5HI.

Rotation Period

18 Dec 2020 = 948 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
19 Dec 2020 = 880 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
20 Dec 2020 = 842 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
21 Dec 2020 = 812 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
22 Dec 2020 = 824 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
23 Dec 2020 = 827 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
24 Dec 2020 = 814 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)

For the last week AO-73 has been spinning about the Z-Z axis with minimal Nutation.

73 de Colin VK5HI.

Rotation Period

11 Dec 2020 = 1837 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
12 Dec 2020 = 2021 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
13 Dec 2020 = 1661 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
14 Dec 2020 = 1550 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
15 Dec 2020 = 1267 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
16 Dec 2020 = 1136 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
17 Dec 2020 = 1020 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)

For the last five days AO-73 has been spinning about the Z-Z axis with minimal Nutation and the spin rate has increased steadily each day.

73 de Colin VK5HI.

Rotation Period

04 Dec 2020 = 2655 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
05 Dec 2020 = 2760 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures) Reverse Spin
06 Dec 2020 = 3735 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures) Reverse Spin
07 Dec 2020 = 4500 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures) Best Estimate
08 Dec 2020 = 4200 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures) Best Estimate
09 Dec 2020 = 3300 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures) Best Estimate
10 Dec 2020 = 2153 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)

This week’s analysis has indeed been very interesting.
For December 4th to 6th I used 24hour WOD’s supplied by Dave from the Warehouse Data to ascertain what was occurring with AO-73.
Late on the UTC day of the 4th AO-73 went into an attitude that indicated it was rotating about the Z-Z axis but the Z-Z axis was inclined at an angle to the normal direction of travel such that the -X and +Y planes were more illuminated than the +x and -Y planes. (Supposition on my part. Alternate theories welcome.)
Then later on the UTC day of the 5th December AO-73 resumed a more normal attitude but with reverse spin. Refer graphic below.

For the 7th to 9th December I have only had the retrieved WOD’s from the real-time telemetry to work with, hence my theoretical best estimates as AO-73 appears to have been in this complex attitude.
Fortunately the download over VK for the 10th December shows AO-73 has again stabilised with normal spin about the Z-Z axis. (Graphic below)

73 de Colin VK5HI.

Rotation Period
13 Nov 2020 = 519 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
14 Nov 2020 = 569 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
15 Nov 2020 = 620 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
16 Nov 2020 = 734 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
17 Nov 2020 = 879 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
18 Nov 2020 = 1032 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
19 Nov 2020 = 1877 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
20 Nov 2020 = 3090 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
21 Nov 2020 = 3229 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
22 Nov 2020 = 3563 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
23 Nov 2020 = 3113 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
24 Nov 2020 = 2520 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
25 Nov 2020 = 2670 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
26 Nov 2020 = 3120 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
27 Nov 2020 = 4256 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
28 Nov 2020 = 4170 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
29 Nov 2020 = 3720 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
30 Nov 2020 = 3555 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
01 Dec 2020 = 5010 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
02 Dec 2020 = 3315 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)
03 Dec 2020 = 3270 seconds (from WOD panel temperatures)

Around the 26th November AO-73 ceased rotating in the reverse direction.
On the 30th November it was observed to be rotating in the reverse direction for a short period.
On the 1st December the short term WOD retrieved from the real time telemetry defied analysis.
A 3 day WOD supplied by Dave G4DPZ allowed a +/- analysis around the 1st December which highlighted a complex reversal cum roll sequence with a period of 5010 seconds.
Long story short. AO-73 is again rotating with normal spin rotation with a low to medium level of Nutation.

73 de Colin VK5HI.

Rotation Period

06 Nov 2020 = 317.0 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
07 Nov 2020 = 334.5 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
08 Nov 2020 = 355.0 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
09 Nov 2020 = 367.0 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
10 Nov 2020 = 393.5 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
11 Nov 2020 = 412.5 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
12 Nov 2020 = 446.5 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)

AO-73 continues to rotate with stable motion and attitude about the Z-Z axis, albeit with reversed spin direction. Since early October when AO-73 returned to a stable motion and attitude with reversed spin rotation, AO-73’s short term spin profile has deviated from the norm. We are unsure whether this is due to the reversed spin rotation or other factors have come into play.
73 de Colin VK5HI.

Rotation Period

30 Oct 2020 = 242.0 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
31 Oct 2020 = 228.3 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
01 Nov 2020 = 260.0 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
02 Nov 2020 = 270.0 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
03 Nov 2020 = 281.5 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
04 Nov 2020 = 289.0 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
05 Nov 2020 = 305.0 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)

AO-73 continues to rotate with stable motion and attitude about the Z-Z axis, albeit with reversed spin direction.

73 de Colin VK5HI.

Rotation Period

23 Oct 2020 = 197.0 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
24 Oct 2020 = 203.3 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
25 Oct 2020 = 209.5 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
26 Oct 2020 = 213.8 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
27 Oct 2020 = 222.0 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
28 Oct 2020 = 229.5 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
29 Oct 2020 = 237.0 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)

AO-73 continues to rotate with stable motion and attitude about the Z-Z axis, albeit with reversed spin direction.

73 de Colin VK5HI.

Rotation Period

16 Oct 2020 = 166.5 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
17 Oct 2020 = 189.3 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
18 Oct 2020 = 190.0 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
19 Oct 2020 = 179.5 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
20 Oct 2020 = 183.3 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
21 Oct 2020 = 185.5 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)
22 Oct 2020 = 192.0 seconds (from averaged panel temperatures)

AO-73 continues to rotate with stable motion and attitude about the Z-Z axis, albeit with reversed spin direction.

73 de Colin VK5HI.