Hi Chuck, On 15 Jun 2008, at 16:07, Chuck Hards wrote:
Patrick, I would love to repeat the visibility test Ann House and I performed a couple of years ago. If you or anyone else is ever up for a line-of-sight, long-distance laser "event", let me know and we can organize one.
Next new Moon what's say I get you on the phone late one night and have you aim your laser skyward in the azimuth of SPOC and I'll see if I can see the beam from here. We could also try seeing it from TITP next time.
I mentioned to Seth off-line that I would like to try an experiment with NASA's blessing, of trying to see if the crew of either the ISS or shuttle could spot several of us targeting them with our lasers from the ground, as they passed over northern Utah.
That reminds me to an event during John Glenn's first flight when the city of Perth, Australia arranged to flash the city's lights Glenn passed over. I just checked the web and I see they did it again during Glenn's second flight. In both cases he said he could see the change.
Want to pitch the idea to NASA?
Sure, I'll just ring my good buddy Mike (NASA Administrator Michael Griffin) and see what he says. I've been meaning to talk to him about my finally catching a ride on the shuttle. <grin> Cheers, patrick