en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Cometary_Explorer#/media/File:ISEE3-ICE-traj...
1 correction found
Perihelion altitude 29.7 AU (4.44×109 km; 2.76×109 mi) Aphelion altitude 49.5 AU (7.41×109 km; 4.60×109 mi) Inclination 17.15° Period 248 years
These orbital elements are incorrect. NASA sources place ICE in a near-Earth heliocentric orbit of about 0.93–1.03 AU with a ~355-day period and ~0.1° inclination, not a 29.7–49.5 AU, 248-year orbit.
Full reasoning
NASA’s HEASARC mission page gives very different orbital elements for ISEE-3/ICE: “As of January 1990, the satellite was in a 355 day heliocentric orbit with an aphelion of 1.03 AU, perihelion of 0.93 AU, and inclination 0.1 degree.” NASA’s current mission page also says the spacecraft returned to the Earth-Moon system in August 2014 and will return to Earth’s vicinity again 17 years later.
Those official facts are incompatible with the infobox values here. An object with perihelion 29.7 AU, aphelion 49.5 AU, and a 248-year period would be far beyond the outer planets and could not have passed near the Moon in 2014. The infobox orbital-parameter block is therefore erroneous by orders of magnitude.
2 sources
- The International Sun-Earth/Cometary Explorer 3
As of January 1990, the satellite was in a 355 day heliocentric orbit with an aphelion of 1.03 AU, perihelion of 0.93 AU, and inclination 0.1 degree. It will return to the vicinity of the Earth-moon system in August 2014.
- ISEE-3/ICE - NASA Science
The spacecraft passed by the Moon at 18:16 UT Aug. 10, 2014, at a range of about 9,700 miles (15,600 kilometers)... The spacecraft will continue in its existing trajectory (in heliocentric orbit) and return to the vicinity of Earth in 17 years.