brody@eos.arc.nasa.gov (Adam R. Brody) (05/06/91)
I went out to see the shuttle at 5AM today and saw a light pass from about SSW to NW as planned. However, it passed directly overhead and I only expected an inclination of 45 degrees. I was impressed with how many other lights were moving across the sky at that hour. I thought airports had curfews at that hour. Also, they seemed too high to be SFO or SJC traffic and I do not think I could see planes en route to Hawaii or some other distant destination. Any comments? Could the shuttle have had that high an inclination? What could the other dots have been?
sharp@mizar.usc.edu (Malcolm Sharp) (05/07/91)
I too saw the shuttle this morning from my home near the LA harbor. It passed approx. 5-10 degrees below the moon around 05:15. I'm now waiting to hear the double sonic boom in about an hour.
mahaun@sactoh0.sac.ca.us (Mark A. Haun) (05/07/91)
In article <8116@eos.arc.nasa.gov>, brody@eos.arc.nasa.gov (Adam R. Brody) writes: > I went out to see the shuttle at 5AM today and saw a light pass > from about SSW to NW as planned. However, it passed directly overhead > and I only expected an inclination of 45 degrees. I was impressed > with how many other lights were moving across the sky at that > hour. I thought airports had curfews at that hour. Also, they > seemed too high to be SFO or SJC traffic and I do not think I could > see planes en route to Hawaii or some other distant destination. > Any comments? Could the shuttle have had that high an inclination? > What could the other dots have been? I saw the shuttle this morning from Sacramento at around 5:15 AM, and also four other days last week from Southern CA. From here I would say it was about 60 degrees high at peak elevation. Be sure not to confuse the elevation of a pass (0 = horizon, 90 = zenith) with *orbital* inclination, the "tilt" of an orbit relative to the equator. As long as your latitude is less than the inclination of an orbiting object (57 degrees in the case of this mission), you will have passes varying in elevation, all the way up to a perfect overhead pass, depending where you are relative to the orbit when the object comes by. Today's pass was about 15 minutes late according to my predictions, but I was using Friday's keplerians, and they have done considerable maneuvering up there. Did anyone else see the bright object passing NW to SE a few minutes later? I have a hunch that it was Mir, but need to confirm this with the tracking program. I'd also appreciate hearing reports from anyone who was able to observe the SPAS/IBSS leading or trailing the orbiter. I never saw it; maybe it was too close for naked eye resolution. Last week I was really excited when they scheduled one of the CRO releases for 5:30 PDT, during a great pass over LA. Apparently, it was delayed :-( :-( :-( ... oh well! -- Mark A. Haun / 3445 Del Mesa Ct. / Sacramento, CA 95821 / Phone: (916) 488-2965 UUCP: {ames | apple | sun}!pacbell!sactoh0!mahaun | Amateur Radio KJ6PC INTERNET: mahaun@sactoh0.SAC.CA.US / pacbell!sactoh0!mahaun@ames.arc.nasa.gov Amateur Pkt Radio: kj6pc@wa6nwe.#nocal.ca.usa -or- [44.2.0.56] on 144.93 MHz
roberts@triton.unm.edu (05/07/91)
In article <32620@usc> sharp@mizar.usc.edu (Malcolm Sharp) writes: >I too saw the shuttle this morning from my home near the LA harbor. >It passed approx. 5-10 degrees below the moon around 05:15. >I'm now waiting to hear the double sonic boom in about an hour. Keep dreaming! ;) Robert BTW, the shuttle landed at KSC today, and not Edwards like originally planned.
shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov (Mary Shafer) (05/07/91)
Just thought I add my two cents worth on seeing the Shuttle fly over.
On Friday morning, two shuttles flew over Lancaster. The first was
in orbit and the second, Endeavour, was on the SCA. The overflights
were less than 10 minutes apart, I think.
--
Mary Shafer shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov ames!skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov!shafer
NASA Ames Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, CA
Of course I don't speak for NASA
"Turn to kill, not to engage." CDR Willie Driscollirwin@hamlet.caltech.edu (Horowitz, Irwin Kenneth) (05/08/91)
In article <SHAFER.91May7083527@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov>, shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov (Mary Shafer) writes... >Just thought I add my two cents worth on seeing the Shuttle fly over. > >On Friday morning, two shuttles flew over Lancaster. The first was >in orbit and the second, Endeavour, was on the SCA. The overflights >were less than 10 minutes apart, I think. I believe that the shuttle program had another first over the past two days: Back-to-back landings of shuttles at the Shuttle Landing Facility at KSC... first with Discovery's touchdown yesterday afternoon, then with the Endeavour landing on top of the SCA this morning. >-- >Mary Shafer shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov ames!skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov!shafer > NASA Ames Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, CA > Of course I don't speak for NASA > "Turn to kill, not to engage." CDR Willie Driscoll ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Irwin Horowitz |"Suppose they went nowhere?"-McCoy Astronomy Department |"Then this will be your big chance California Institute of Technology | to get away from it all!"-Kirk irwin@romeo.caltech.edu | from STII:TWOK ih@deimos.caltech.edu | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
alan@berlioz.nsc.com (Alan Hepburn) (05/09/91)
In article <1991May7.175810.25796@nntp-server.caltech.edu> irwin@hamlet.caltech.edu writes: > >I believe that the shuttle program had another first over the past two days: >Back-to-back landings of shuttles at the Shuttle Landing Facility at KSC... >first with Discovery's touchdown yesterday afternoon, then with the Endeavour >landing on top of the SCA this morning. Somehow the image conjured up by that last statement isn't the image that was trying to be conveyed, I think... -- Alan Hepburn "You cannot possibly have a broader basis for any National Semiconductor government than that which includes all the people Santa Clara, Ca with all their rights in their hands, and with an alan@berlioz.nsc.com equal power to maintain their rights." WLGarrison