ISS + Shuttle Obs

From: Jonathan T Wojack (tlj18@juno.com)
Date: Fri Oct 13 2000 - 14:40:31 PDT

  • Next message: Ron Lee: "Re: Maybe STS-92? + STS-92 Obs."

    Hello,
    
    Finally, for the first time, I have seen the ISS and Shuttle at the same
    time - in fact, they had been docked for six hours already.  Sighted at
    2350, 10-13-2000, GMT, at 47x in my telescope.  Was bright.  Looked like
    two balls of light, right next to each other, in a slightly vertical
    shape.  I also saw faint streaks of light on each side of one of the
    balls of light.  I suspect that this either was the Orbiter's wings, or
    the solar array on the ISS.  Has anyone even seen this (with ISS or the
    Shuttle flying alone, or the two docked) ?
    
    I encourage others trying to catch the combination with a telescope. 
    Yes, they do move fast, but it's interesting what you might see.
    
    I was able to watch the docking live over the Ukraine via the miracles of
    the Internet on NASA TV.  Since the Ku-band radar broke Friday morning
    GMT, they have to use the C-band radar to beam down video and images. 
    But when the stack is not over the U.S. or Russia, the transmission rate
    decreases to 1 frame/image per 10 seconds (agonizingly slow in
    real-time).  Technically, and emotionally (for myself), the docking went
    great.  It went flawlessly, but I wish I hadn't decided to wait until
    T-5:00 to start watching.
    
    My third obs of shuttles (all Discovery), and second for this mission. 
    The weather and orbit has been uncharacteristically cooperative.
    
    --------------------------------
    Jonathan T. Wojack                                         
    tlj18@juno.com
    39.45 N 75.33 W
    
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