Off to the next window, August 20th.

Nope but Doug is on the right track :-)

Try this one. Except Jim :-)

The pyramidal launch pad also gives away that it was an Atlas, as they designed their pads that way.

I use film and digital.

Decibel levels are 180-200 within a short distance of the pad. According to the national institude on (I forget what it's called, but they have the 'official' noise levels chart online somewhere) they are second only to large bombs in noise level as measured from the same distance.

Well, I thought I had a better quality video if it, but after seeing the Boeing version now the resolution is not much different. I've PMed you should you want it.

I posted my GOES launch photos on my website for those interested, too.

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Thanks!

They said the RD-180 only had to steer half a degree off to account for the SRB (out of eight degrees it could swivel maximum). Pretty good, as always for Atlas.

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And here are the photos I got for SFN:

http://www.launchphotography.com/ASTRA_1KR.html

It was a nice launch, but certainly unique with that one SRB!

The tanks lost just as much foam with the painted tank, unfortunately.

Count me in :-)

I love the sunset photo Bob. I wish I could have been there.

Bob, great shots. I would love to see more if you have any.

B)-->

Thanks Emily.

Is the situation such that Pioneer's (both of them) power supply has dropped too low to send out a signal, or is it such that that Pioneer is too far away and the signal too weak for our largest antennas to pick it up anymore.

It was my understanding that it is the latter, and that if we had a larger DSN dish we would still be able to pick it up (this is ignoring alignments). Am I misunderstanding? Thanks!

Looks like launch of STEREO has been pushed back again, now July 22.

Ha, thanks. Sounds neat, can I see what you did?

Yes, sound dampening fittings.

It didn't go silent, apparently. It was probably just rotating and broadcasting away from Earth earlier this morning. But observations all day from around the world have proven it is working:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/station/exp1...204suitsat.html

Should be June 23 at 3:30pm. I've put in a request for the windows (the current one now targetted is June 23 to July 7). STEREO is a very interesting mission in terms of its orbital dance to get into position and the launch windows being based on the moons position. They have some neat Quicktimes tracing out the paths.

Perfect way of putting it, thanks!

It caught my eye in Alan's perspective that it remains inside 1 Au until Jan. 29, but this is because we launched just after perihelion, which I believe I understand.

So, knowing hyperbolic orbits, NH never left Earth on a trajectory aimed inside our orbital direction, correct (as in, once it left Earth it never gets closer than Earth is to the sun at this present moment in time; only that NH is closer than the defined 1 Au distance)?

Earth is currently inside 1 Au itself (obviously), and NH is always outbound from our orbit even if within 1 Au, is what I am trying to clarify? :-) I think I am just a bit misled by hearing that it is inside 1 Au, thinking it could be closer to the Sun than Earth now, which is what is it not.

Changed to a real url:

http://www.spacearium.com/

Matt does good video work.

The IMAX film Space Station 3D (2D on DVD format though).

Yes, that's correct. Many of us use boxes but not all. But for the cameras mounted on the Shuttle launch tower that get those shots, they are definitely housed inside heat and flame proof boxes that flip open for the shot and close afterwards.

Thanks, yep the remote sound activated camera. I escaped this time. If you want to read more on how we get those kinds of shots, I wrote up an article yesterday:

http://www.popphoto.com/idealbb/view.asp?t...=45561&pageNo=1