[FPSPACE] Obect A , Cosmos 2441 revealed just three days after launch

[John Locker]

As to be expected tonight was cloudy....but with breaks.

At 2238 I spotted Object B .it was to run below the roof line so from the 
location of the scope could not be imaged , but I followed it through a 
couple of gaps. It was very fast.
This brief glimpse gave me a good impression of where to look for Object B 
which was to follow 13 minutes later , nearly 40 degs higher in the sky..

The cloud was not kind , but , I did manage to fire off a few frames when 
"A" came zipping through.
For the short time that I saw it it seemed to be at the predicted magnitude 
of 1.5.

My impression is that this bird is very much like USA 129 in design , with 
perhaps a greater diameter conical "barrel" and panels along each side...a 
cross perhaps between Arkon and Hubble.
It is no more than about five metres in length.

>From the obs I would summise that this "is" an optical instrument.

Four raw frames have been placed at

http://satcom.website.orange.co.uk/     ( Recent Obs tag ) Range about 240 
km

On the left raw frames with dark frame subtracted...on the right the same 
frames without DF.
One of the solar panels is easy to see , the other slightly in shadow

This is an exceptionally hard satellite to track due to its speed ( I 
thought USA 193 was difficult , but this one takes the biscuit ! ) . . . but 
considering the circumstances , the results , whilst  minimal , have given 
us a number of pointers as to the design of this  bird.

John