Thirteenth-order orbital resonance on a Diademe 2 fragment

A strong thirteenth-order resonance has been observed in an analysis which is based on U.S. Navy tracking data regarding the slowly decaying orbit of a Diademe 2 fragment. The exact commensurability for the orbit occurred in late 1973. The major changes due to the resonance were over by late 1974. Approaches for a significant improvement of thirteenth-order geopotential terms are discussed.