Lakedude and oldoberon:
Quote:
Originally Posted by lakedude
A "join the dots" plot is not possible from one satellite. There would be several full circles, one for each ping, no dots. Parts of each circle could be eliminated but an exact plot would be impossible from the ping data from only one satellite.
This is the unfortuate truth of the matter. If a second satellite was involved two connect the dots plots could be made, one to the north the other to the south in a mirror image.
If a third satellite was in line with the first two it wouldn't help anything but if it was off the line to the north or south it would pinpoint the exact location.
Think we all know that except the good prof.
However like many have said on here ian_W and I thjnk yourself and others there must be ways to extrapolate some date out of the missing ping data basesd on the spacing (range between them, estimated speed etc and if looks as if the experts have done it.
should have released it who knows perhaps ppruners would have come up with an answer earlier
Actually it's a fairly simple relative velocity calculation, if you assume steady course and speed. Ranges from pings at hourly intervals give you velocity made good (VMG) over the hour towards the satellite's position; for a given speed there are only two possible courses which would generate that VMG - one (assuming closing on satellite's position) NW, one SW.
Repeat for whatever speed range you want to get, and for each speed you'll get a different pair of tracks. If you know the pings, it's a simple calculation which I'm sure would have been done within hours of the ping information reaching the authorities.
So they presumably have a good reason for not making it public.