Evening star., 1960-02-11
Trackers Spot
Mystery0bject
0rbiting Earth
BY RICHARD FRYKLUND
Star stan Writer

Star Stan Writer
An unidentified dark satel-
lite" which could be an un-
reported Soviet space project is
tumbling around the earth.
Exactly what it is, Navy
satellite trackers do not know.
But they have virtually ruled
out the possibility it could be a
meteorite and they are sure it
is not an American satellite or
any the Russians have admitted
sending up.
The Pentagon officially would
only say that there is an un-
known satellite which we have
been watching for some time
which may be of Soviet origin. "
There is a chance it could be
a forgotten stage of some old
satellite rocket.
Part Of Failure?
Or, it is speculated in the
Pentagon, it could be the re-
mains of a Soviet satellite fail
Urea failure the Kremlin is
not willing to admit exists.
One theory advanced in mil
itary circles is that the dark
satellite could be a secret Soviet
surveillance platform keeping
watch over American military
installations. This country is
developing just such a satellite,
but it will not be ready for use
for several years.
The dark satellite is in a
polar orbit. No known Soviet
satellite shot has ever used a
polar orbit, and American satel-
lite experts say it is unlikely
that a Soviet satellite could be
steared from another orbit into
a north-South circuit. But they
say also that this country would
not necessarily be able to de-
tect the takeoff of a polar
orbiting satellite.
The satellite is tumbling
slowly end over end. 1t is silent.
No radio signals are heard as
it passes overhead, and mill
tary sources doubt that it could
be broadcasting information
over the Soviet Union without
American radio stations over
hearing.
This object" the Pentagon
announcement said late yes
terday, "iS slightly smaller than
the United States Discoverer
carrier rocket of which six are
now in orbit in a somewhat
similar path"
Less Than 20 Feet
This means the dark Satel-
| lite is something less than 20
feet long and feet in dia-
meter. The Discoverer stages
still in orbit are empty shells
which once contained fuel. Now
they weigh about 1,700 pounds.
If the dark satellite is full
of instruments and no one
knows it is - it could weigh IS
or 20 tons.
The possibility that it could
be a lost Discoverer second
stage has almost been ruled
out. Its orbit does not square
with the orbits Of any Of the
space garbage" left behind by
American shots-or known So
Wet shots.
There are II man-made OBJ
jects still in orbit around the
earth, in addition to the dark
satellite.
Navy trackers keep tabs on
two Vanguards, two Explorers,
Russia's Lunik III, and Sputnik
III and six Discoverer second
stages.
The dark satellite was found
by the Navy space surveillance
system about two weeks ago,
informed sources say. The
tracking radar network, CEN
tered in Fort Stewart, Ca, and
Brown Field, near San Diego.
has been following the un-
known object and trying to
calculate from its orbit wheth-
er it is one of ours or one of
theirs.
A check of known orbits
showed it probably was some
thing new. Pentagon informa-
ton officials wanted to make
the discovery public promptly,
but scientists and intelligence
officers preferred to wait until
the nature of the dark satellite