The FORTE satellite - its mission and importance in a present study of extreme ball lightning

The FORTE (Fast On-orbit Recording of Transient Events) satellite was launched in August of 1997. This satellite became a principal component in the Los Alamos National Laboratory study of atmospheric electron discharges. One of the principal types of electron discharge marked for study using the FORTE satellite was atmospheric lightning. At the time the FORTE satellite was launched, the only other large-scale studies of atmospheric lightning were being made from ground-based stations.

It is signals from FORTE that prompted the request being made for a complete two line orbital element catalog spanning the period of September 1997 through November 1997. A complete two line elements have a wall with a month of September 1997 would also be helpful. The positions of other satellites during periods are unknown. Knowing the locations of other satellites at the time satellite transmissions were collected would help validate source of the signals collected by the Los Alamos study team. Help from amateur radio operators interested in satellite communications, as well as others that might have reasons to collect two line orbital elements, is being solicited by the Los Alamos National Laboratory investigators.

(NOTE: electron discharges in space were also collected and studied by the FORTE project team. In addition to the satellite's optical and RF instrumentation, nuclear event discharge sensors were also part of FORTE's cargo.

ABOVE photos from the top:

1. The FORTE satellite prior to its launch in August 1997

2. Los Alamos FORTE tracking station

3. Illustration of the FORTE satellite in its orbit 800 km above Earth's surface

Photos and illustration courtesy Los Alamos National Laboratory (1997)

Standard search engines used for the World Wide Web can lead to many pages that cover the FORTE satellite project as well as the study issues that lead up to its launch.