Re: [Utah-astronomy] Shuttle Re-entry
Brent Watson <brentjwatson@yahoo.com> wrote :
Patrick,
Has the re-entry path been announced yet? I know it is in the middle of the night, but I havn't seen the ground path. Any news?
Brent
I have not looked since they are in a 51 degree orbit which means no part of the reentry will be visible from Utah. Are you wanting to know where you could fly to to see reentry? If so, I'll see if I can find the data when I get home (I'm at SPOC just now watering the plants). Patrick ___________________________________ NOCC, http://nocc.sourceforge.net
I thought it may not be visible. In fact, I think the re-entry is across central america. Just curious, and hoping that my memory was incorrect. --- paw@trilobyte.net wrote:
Brent Watson <brentjwatson@yahoo.com> wrote :
Patrick,
Has the re-entry path been announced yet? I know it is in the middle of the night, but I havn't seen the ground path. Any news?
Brent
I have not looked since they are in a 51 degree orbit which means no part of the reentry will be visible from Utah.
Are you wanting to know where you could fly to to see reentry?
If so, I'll see if I can find the data when I get home (I'm at SPOC just now watering the plants).
Patrick
___________________________________ NOCC, http://nocc.sourceforge.net
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com
http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy
Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com
__________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
--- paw@trilobyte.net wrote:
Brent Watson <brentjwatson@yahoo.com> wrote :
Patrick, Has the re-entry path been announced yet? . . . Patrick wrote I have not looked since they are in a 51 degree orbit which means no part of the reentry will be visible from Utah. . . . .
Not exactly what you are after, but this may be of interest from the NASA applet at - http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/viewsighting.cgi?Salt... at - http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/index.cgi reached from toppage of - http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/index.html For help on interpreting the track data - duration, max_elev, approach_angle, departure_angle, see - http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/help.html ***** SALT LAKE CITY, UT ***** THE FOLLOWING SHUTTLE SIGHTINGS ARE POSSIBLE FROM THR AUG 04 TO WED AUG 10 SATELLITE LOCAL DURATION MAX ELEV APPROACH DEPARTURE DATE/TIME (MIN) (DEG) (DEG-DIR) (DEG-DIR) SHUTTLE Mon Aug 08/05:40 AM 2 19 11 above S 18 above ESE SHUTTLE Tue Aug 09/06:01 AM 3 62 11 above SW 53 above E SHUTTLE Wed Aug 10/04:51 AM 1 17 16 above SE 15 above ESE THE FOLLOWING ISS SIGHTINGS ARE POSSIBLE FROM THR AUG 04 TO TUE AUG 16 SATELLITE LOCAL DURATION MAX ELEV APPROACH DEPARTURE DATE/TIME (MIN) (DEG) (DEG-DIR) (DEG-DIR) ISS Mon Aug 08/05:41 AM 2 19 11 above S 19 above ESE ISS Wed Aug 10/05:00 AM 2 23 18 above SSE 19 above ESE ISS Thr Aug 11/05:27 AM 2 88 25 above SW 57 above NE ISS Fri Aug 12/04:21 AM < 1 23 23 above ESE 20 above E ISS Fri Aug 12/05:53 AM 3 29 12 above W 23 above N ISS Sat Aug 13/04:47 AM < 1 73 73 above N 43 above NE ISS Sun Aug 14/05:14 AM 2 26 22 above WNW 23 above N ISS Mon Aug 15/05:40 AM 2 14 11 above NW 13 above N - Canopus56(Kurt) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
The ground track is now available at: http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight/crew/landing.html Patrick Canopus56 wrote:
--- paw@trilobyte.net wrote:
Brent Watson <brentjwatson@yahoo.com> wrote :
Patrick, Has the re-entry path been announced yet? . . .
Patrick wrote
I have not looked since they are in a 51 degree orbit which means no part of the reentry will be visible from Utah. . . . .
Not exactly what you are after, but this may be of interest from the NASA applet at - http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/viewsighting.cgi?Salt...
Thanks, Patrick. Looks like its a bit too far to go see. Brent --- Patrick Wiggins <paw@trilobyte.net> wrote:
The ground track is now available at:
http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight/crew/landing.html
Patrick
Canopus56 wrote:
--- paw@trilobyte.net wrote:
Brent Watson <brentjwatson@yahoo.com> wrote :
Patrick, Has the re-entry path been announced yet? . . .
Patrick wrote
I have not looked since they are in a 51 degree orbit which means no part of the reentry will be visible from Utah. . . . .
Not exactly what you are after, but this may be of interest from the NASA applet at -
http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/viewsighting.cgi?Salt...
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com
http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy
Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com
__________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - You care about security. So do we. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail
--- Patrick Wiggins <paw@trilobyte.net> wrote:
The ground track is now available at: http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight/crew/landing.html
Patrick, Is this an usual landing approach pattern? The route appears to minimize transit over any populated landmasses. Looking at the general pattern of the orbital diagram for the ISS - << http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/realdata/tracking/ >> - and that, after the shuttle lands at 2:46am, the ISS passes over Utah at 5:46am on an west-east line angled from south to east-south-east - << http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/viewsighting.cgi?Salt...
- it almost looks the shuttle will decelerate on a high-angle southwest to northeast course over the south Pacific, then pull a 45° turn in order to reach the north-south approach landing track to shown on - << << http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight/crew/landing.html
I'm not some conspiracy theorist; I'm a space enthusiast and am confident the shuttle descent will be without incident. I'm just curious about the route selection. Wouldn't it be easier to just land west-east, like Columbia did, or is NASA trying to limit flight time other populated landmasses? - Canopus56(Kurt) P.S. - If that was the intent; that's fine; it's NASA call. ____________________________________________________ Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs
Canopus56 wrote:
Patrick,
Is this an usual landing approach pattern? The route appears to minimize transit over any populated landmasses.
<snip>
I'm not some conspiracy theorist; I'm a space enthusiast and am confident the shuttle descent will be without incident. I'm just curious about the route selection. Wouldn't it be easier to just land west-east, like Columbia did, or is NASA trying to limit flight time other populated landmasses?
Conspiracies aside, I think it's all a matter of orbital mechanics. Columbia was in a much shallower inclination orbit (something like 38 degrees if memory serves) so it and the two other shuttle flights that shared that orbit came in such that they passed over southern Utah. Discovery and the many other flights in the 51 degree orbit needed to match ISS's orbit have come in from down under as Discovery is currently scheduled to do or from over the top where they pass over part of Canada and down through the center of the US. I'm guessing that if Discovery's first landing attempt is weathered out the approach for any subsequent attempts will be much different. Launches, on the other hand, are a whole different matter. NASA will not launch over populated areas. That's why the other shuttle launch site was built at Vandenberg AFB in S. California from which the shuttle was to launch south over the ocean into high inclination/polar orbits. Go Discovery! Patrick
participants (4)
-
Brent Watson -
Canopus56 -
Patrick Wiggins -
paw＠trilobyte.net