Re: Instructions for Viewing ATEx Tether With Binoculars

Mir16609@aol.com
Sun, 10 Jan 1999 20:51:51 EST

In a message dated 1/10/99 6:33:28 PM Eastern Standard Time, spetched@nro.mil
writes:

>  have just completed calculating times and az/el look angles for viewing the
> ATEx tether after it is deployed on 14 Jan 99.  It's our hope that the upper
> and lower end masses and the tether itself will be viewable with binoculars.

Last month, STEX/ATEX was about a 6.5 mag (ref:
http://www2.satellite.eu.org/seesat/Dec-1998/0260.html).

Hopefully it will be brighter than TiPS, which requires near-perfect
conditions in the Balt-Wash area for binocular viewing.

>  The NRO's Space Technology Satellite (STEX) is the host vehicle for the 
> Naval Research Lab's Advanced Tether Experiment (ATEx).  On 14 Jan 99, ATEx 
> will deploy and upper end mass on the end of a 6 kilometer tether.  Active 
> tether control experiments will commence for about 2 months, after which the
> tether will be jettisoned and remain in orbit.

Looking ahead a bit, the next decent pass for the Baltimore/Washington area is
mid-March.  This assumes no orbit adjustments.  Other than the tether control
experiments, are there any planned adjustments to the orbit?

Thank for posting the info.

Cheers
Don Gardner
Homepage: http://hometown.aol.com/mir16609/
39.1796 N, 76.8419 W, 34m ASL