re: Pegasus launch observed!

Philip Chien (kc4yer@amsat.org)
Fri, 23 Oct 1998 09:34:55 -0400

Andre Beckus <amuaddib@yahoo.com> said:

>Shortly after 20:02 EDT (too busy scanning horizon to tell
>exactly what time), we observed a small red dot that was moving upward
>and a little bit to the south.

Launch time was 8:03:49 pm EDT.  Ignition of the first stage occurs five
seconds later.  The first stage burns for 76 seconds.


>It was nothing
>spectacular, but I was glad to have been able to see something so
>elusive.

Well, I decided to watch it on the satellite feed.  I was at a hotel about
a mile from where Andre and Jake watched the launch.


>Jake and I are planning on going over on
>Saturday morning to see the Delta II with Deep Space I, and then
>STS-95 on Thursday.  Busy couple of weeks.  Will let you know what
>happens.

I suspect that Jetty Park will be slightly more crowded for the STS-95
launch.  (This is an understatement on the same order of magnitude as
"Houston, we have a problem.")


OBJ on topic comments.  The second stage for the DS1 launch should be a
visual object.  A couple of hour delay in the STS-95 launch would be highly
desirable for visual observers in the southeast U.S.



Philip Chien, KC4YER
Earth News
world (in)famous writer, science fiction fan, ham radio operator,
all-around nice guy, etc.