mike@ames.arpa (Mike Smithwick) (09/19/87)
[eat this] I received many replies to my casual mention about the NASA tv network, so I thought that I would post a followup and "how-toooo" article for further details. Like many companies and agencies, NASA supports it's own television network. It is known as "NASA Select Television" and is used for everything from teleconferences (audio on landline) to mission coverage. As far as I know, it is not meant to be private. Much has been written about it in Sat TV magazines, and there was plans at one time between NASA and some TVRO companies to get low-cost dishes to schools for '51L and flights following. Also, most of the network video comes from the feeds. Forget about the teleconferences, they're pretty dull material, but the other stuff can easily make it worth the cost of a dish. All, and I mean ALL, launches (non-classified) are covered live. So you could've watched that Delta explosion, as it happened, or the last of the Atlas launches. It's a big help while us space junkies go through withdrawl. Of course, the best part is the shuttle coverage. The coverage begins several days ahead of the launch with assorted news conferences with the crew and payload people. On launch day, tune in about 3 or 4 hours ahead of time. You'll get the PAO commentary with the ground-loop chit-chat. 30 minutes after launch they'll replay all of the launch video, unedited from all of the color camera positions, from about T-10 secs to stageing. At T+45 minutes they'll show the launch from the black and white on-pad engineering cameras. It knocked my eyeballs out the first time I saw it. And so far, I have never, ever seen any of the networks pick it up. You'll see views from cameras immediately to the side of the SRBs, or out next to one of the wings. 9 or 10 different views in all. After the launch replays, they switch over to JSC until landing. Most of the views are from those el-cheapo color cameras in the corner of MCC looking over the consoles, or at the plot-board. But when there is downlink TV they show it. If the downlink TV is broadcast directly to a ground station (as it usually is until the satillites are out of the payload bay), when live, it'll be a funny flickering black-and-white image. What you're seeing is the raw, unprocessed, sequential-frame video. That is, one frame is red, one green and one blue. They then merge everything together and replay it a few minutes after LOS. The ground stations use the same transponder for their relays, so you'll see the signal drop for a few seconds, then come back from Hawaii or Goldstone. When the TV comes down from TDRSS it is real-time color as the color processing is apparently done at the TDRSS station or someother remote site. All in-flight press briefings are broadcast, as well as science films about certain experiments (mainly during Spacelab). And in some cases EVA rehersals in the water tank or building 15 (I think) are sent out. What really makes it fun, is when the guys in the TV control room get loose. And it's late at night, and . . ., well maybe I better not say anything about that. The current transponder is on Satcom F-II, way over the Atlantic, Xpnder 13. It has a brutally strong signal here on the left-coast, so anyone this side of Mars outta be able to get it. I use a 12 foot dish with a 60 degree LNA, but on the east coast, there should be little problems seeing it with an 8 or even 6 foot dish. So be prepared for excitement on STS-26, thumb your collective noses at the networks and tune in to the bird. Also, stock up on video tape, you'll be needing lotz of it. Addendum: If you are in an international mood, you may want to try "ESA Select" the next time an Arainne is launched. The boys in Guyana broadcast their escapades usually on Spacenet 1, around transponder 21 or so. But it changes from time to time. -- *** mike (powered by M&Ms) smithwick *** "ever felt like life was a game, and someone gave you the wrong instruction book?" [discalimer : nope, I don't work for NASA, I take full blame for my ideas]