🚀 go-pugleaf

in article <8760@utzoo.UUCP>, henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer) says:
> Xref: idacrd sci.space:3217 sci.space.shuttle:359
> 
>> ... feasibility study of mobile
>> communications satellite system, possibly using Molniya orbits for good
>> coverage at high latitudes.
> 
> latitudes the results are better.  The Soviets do now make some use of
> Clarke-orbit comsats as well, but the Molniyas remain important.  There are
> a few other users of such orbits as well; I believe one of the upcoming
> amateur-radio satellites will use such an orbit.
> -- 
>Henry Spencer

Molniya is usually applied to those orbits which are elliptical AND have
high inclinations at just the right value to cause one of the principal
perturbations to be zero (to first order).  You are correct that this is
used and has been extensively developed by the Soviets.  OSCAR-10
(AMSAT's Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio) DOES use an
elliptical orbit and was scheduled for Molniya until the launcher did
a rear end collision on us .  We made it to 26 degree inclination so
the argument of perigee precesses (the apogee swaps from north to south
and back on its subsatellite point).  Phase III-C, another in the oscar
series will go up on the first Ariane 4 in the early part of next year.
It is also scheduled for Molniya orbit.  The need for a Molniya orbit
is correctly explained by Henry.

Bob McGwier, N4HY