Re: shuttle undocking time

From: Robert Holdsworth (robbonz1@xtra.co.nz)
Date: Thu Nov 01 2007 - 07:45:18 UTC

  • Next message: Kevin Fetter: "shuttle undocking time update"

    We have a pass only half an hour or so after a fly-round commences following 
    separation, but as the sun will only just be below the horizon it  does not 
    look good.
    
    The following pass looks promising,  but as Wunderground is predicting a ONE 
    HUNDRED PERCENT chance of precipitation I think this will be yet another 
    frustration of not seeing an interesting observation.   .  (I am assuming no 
    change to the separation time as a result of the complications of working on 
    the P6 truss.)
    
    Prospects are that we will be clouded out from now till then at least
    
    As the 5th  will be a night on which it is customary to send up fireworks 
    here, there might be lots of accidental observers and lots of UFO reports if 
    by any chance  the spacecraft are visible through the murky weather!
    
    Incidentally NASA is talking in terms of having to consider discarding the 
    P6 truss if they can't repair it, it would make an interesting observation 
    as debris I guess but it would  also be a nasty piece of space junk  at a 51 
    degree inclination, best wishes with the "surgery" to repair it!
    
    Assuming no changes the deorbit burn will occur at 1013 UTC on Wednesday, 
    about half an hour before we would have been due to have a low pass here.  I 
    can't find the reference but read that in order to increase landing options 
    the shuttle will use the track last used by Columbia.    I would be 
    interested in the ground track between  deorbit burn and final approach, as 
    generally NASA only shows the ground track  approaching the USA.
    
    (Comet- what comet? Stars- what stars? Satellites - what satellites?   guess 
    I
    may see one again sometime!)
    
    Robert
    
    
    
    
    
    Robert Holdsworth
    Wainuiomata
    New Zealand
    174.948E
    41.261S
    
    
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: <Skywayinc@aol.com>
    To: <gprichard@vtown.com.au>; <kfetter@yahoo.com>; <seesat-l@satobs.org>
    Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2007 2:57 AM
    Subject: Re: shuttle undocking time
    
    
    > In a message dated 10/31/2007 9:03:48 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
    > gprichard@vtown.com.au writes:
    >
    >
    > Unfortunately there are no observing opportunities from Australia
    > during  the undocking/separation/landing period. The best of luck to
    > everybody else  though...I look forward to reading your observations.
    >
    >
    > Well . . . latest weather forecasts suggests we'll be "skunked" with
    > cloudiness.  All the
    > more aggravating since we are into a long stretch  of beautifully clear
    > weather right now; likely
    > going away by later in the  weekend. Oh well . . . at least I'm getting 
    > some
    > great views of
    > Comet  17P/Holmes.
    >
    > -- joe rao
    >
    >
    >
    >
    > ************************************** See what's new at 
    > http://www.aol.com
    >
    > -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    > Subscribe/Unsubscribe info, Frequently Asked Questions, SeeSat-L archive:
    > http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
    >
    >
    > __________ NOD32 2620 (20071027) Information __________
    >
    > This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system.
    > http://www.eset.com
    >
    > 
    
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Subscribe/Unsubscribe info, Frequently Asked Questions, SeeSat-L archive:  
    http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
    



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Nov 01 2007 - 17:12:59 UTC