ptc@b15.b15.ingr.com (Paul Carter) (06/07/91)
This is kinda an obscure question, but maybe I'm not the only one who has wondered about this, so I'll ask the net. I have been watching NASA select over the years, and noticed a symbol on the tracking map that shows up on every orbit. It looks like a [ and it's on the bottom of each orbit and/or the top (can't remember). What does this symbol mean? Also, what is the South Atlantic Anomoly? Thanks Paul P.S. I hope the first question isn't a FAQ :^) -- +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ Paul Carter Intergraph Corporation- Huntsville Ala. uucp: uunet!ingr!b15!ptc (205) 730-6859 +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
carl@iago.caltech.edu (Lydick, Carl) (06/07/91)
In article <1991Jun7.134837.11390@b15.b15.ingr.com>, ptc@b15.b15.ingr.com (Paul Carter) writes... >Also, what is the South Atlantic Anomoly? The South Atlantic Anomaly is a part of the radiation belts over the South Atlantic that anomalously reaches a much lower altitude than the rest of the belts. It tends to do nasty things to solid-state electronics. E.g., at one point, there was a good chance of one or more random bits getting flipped in one of the computers on the space telescope as it passed through the anomaly. I think they worked around this by not having the memory active while it's there. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carl J Lydick HEPnet/NSI: SOL1::CARL Internet: CARL@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU
millard@eos.arc.nasa.gov (Millard Edgerton) (06/12/91)
ptc@b15.b15.ingr.com (Paul Carter) writes: >This is kinda an obscure question, but maybe I'm not the only one who >has wondered about this, so I'll ask the net. >I have been watching NASA select over the years, and noticed a symbol >on the tracking map that shows up on every orbit. It looks like a [ >and it's on the bottom of each orbit and/or the top (can't remember). >What does this symbol mean? >Also, what is the South Atlantic Anomoly? >Thanks >Paul For the South Alantic Anomaly, see May 91 Sky & Telescope! A very good article. Millard *************************************************************************** * Intelligent people talk about ideas. | Standard disclaimer(s) * * Average people talk about things. | Millard J. Edgerton, WA6VZZ * * Small people talk about other people. | millard@eos.arc.nasa.gov * *************************************************************************** * Fax 415-604-6475 | Voice 415-604-3480 * * Employed by Sterling Software at NASA Ames Research Center. * ***************************************************************************
bheil@scout-po.biz.uiowa.edu (06/12/91)
I believe the '[' on the large projected map is the begining of the orbit. The map plots about 3 orbits and labels each with the orbit number, where one ends and the other starts a '[' appears. Of course I could be wrong :)
freed@nss.FIDONET.ORG (Bev Freed) (06/13/91)
> >I have been watching NASA select over the years, and noticed > a symbol > >on the tracking map that shows up on every orbit. It looks > like a [ > >and it's on the bottom of each orbit and/or the top (can't > remember). > >What does this symbol mean? > The brackets indicate the day/night terminators. I'll probably get this backwards because it's been a while since I used them, but: [ = beginning orbital night ] = beginning orbital day They are located on the orbital track. --- Opus-CBCS 1.20.v * Origin: NSS BBS - Ad Astra! (412)366-5208 *HST* (1:129/104.0) -- Bev Freed - via FidoNet node 1:129/104 UUCP: ...!pitt!nss!freed INTERNET: freed@nss.FIDONET.ORG
edotto@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Ed Otto) (06/14/91)
freed@nss.FIDONET.ORG (Bev Freed) writes: >The brackets indicate the day/night terminators. I'll probably get this backwards because it's been a while since I used them, but: > > [ = beginning orbital night > ] = beginning orbital day > >They are located on the orbital track. Nope. The indicate the part of orbit where the shuttle is OUT OF DIRECT SUNLIGHT. Orbital night is when the crew sleeps. NOT the same thing. ************************************************************************* ** Edward C. Otto III * Email: UIPSA::OTTO ** ** University of Illinois * UIPSB::OTTO ** ** Printing Division * edotto@uipsuxb.ps.uiuc.edu ** ** 54A E. Gregory * edotto@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu ** ** Champaign, IL * otto@uipsa.dnet.nasa.gov ** ** 217/333-9422 * ** ************************************************************************* "As knowledge is to ignorance, so is light unto the darkness." -- GO 'PODS! -- -- ************************************************************************* ** Edward C. Otto III * Email: UIPSA::OTTO ** ** University of Illinois * UIPSB::OTTO ** ** Printing Division * edotto@uipsuxb.ps.uiuc.edu **
freed@nss.FIDONET.ORG (Bev Freed) (06/19/91)
> From: edotto@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Ed Otto) > Message-ID: <1991Jun13.182351.17385@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> > Nope. The indicate the part of orbit where the shuttle > is OUT OF DIRECT SUNLIGHT. > > Orbital night is when the crew sleeps. NOT the same thing. Sorry...but I don't think so. The crew can sleep in shifts which means it would be orbital night all the time! Too many times, I've heard the NASA commentator claim: "<orbiter name> is just now crossing the terminator, moving into orbital night." Yes, indeed, that applies to the orbiter being out of direct sunlight -- but it's not a reference to sleep periods or sleep shifts. I've covered too many missions to know that one ain't right. I know the brackets define the terminators for passage into and o ut of direct sunlight. I was just concerned that I might have gotten the definitions backwards. --- Opus-CBCS 1.20.17 * Origin: NSS BBS - Ad Astra! (412)366-5208 *HST* (1:129/104.0) -- Bev Freed - via FidoNet node 1:129/104 UUCP: ...!pitt!nss!freed INTERNET: freed@nss.FIDONET.ORG