STS-118 Options

[Exploitcorporati...]

Endeavour is safely in orbit.

[Marz]

Another exciting launch!

It'll be interesting to see if the ISS's computers freak out again upon docking. I heard that thanks to getting the power systems on the ISS upgraded, the STS can mooch power from the ISS and stay up a few days longer. Finally the space station is ready to receive the science module, hopefully as a Christmas Present!!

I want to attend that launch. Sad to think the STS era is coming to an end.

[djellison]

Got the two of them...but these two merged images are about 4 minutes apart and then overlayed as best I can to show relative magnitude. STS was brighter than this earlier on - but it dimmed much earlier in the East than ISS (lower orbit) - great to see 10 people fly over my head in 5 minutes

Canon 400D, 17mm @ f2.8 20s @ ISO400 (for both shots)

Doug

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[djellison]

That first shot I used the same patch of sky and lined up the background stars.

This image - is a composite of two 20s exposures taken in ROUGHLY the same part of the sky but simply overlayed to show the length of the trails in 20s - the the dimmer, lower and thus faster STS drawing out a longer streak in 20s than ISS

Same kit and settings as before.

Doug

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[ugordan]

the the dimmer, lower and thus faster STS drawing out a longer streak in 20s than ISS

I wonder how big a factor the speed difference was here. I'm inclined to think the shuttle has a longer streak mainly due to parallax.

[djellison]

Probably not a lot of speed difference - but there is a difference

ISS - 7.71km/sec STS - 7.72km/sec

It's all parallax.

Doug

[LivingNDixie]

Got the two of them...but these two merged images are about 4 minutes apart and then overlayed as best I can to show relative magnitude. STS was brighter than this earlier on - but it dimmed much earlier in the East than ISS (lower orbit) - great to see 10 people fly over my head in 5 minutes

Canon 400D, 17mm @ f2.8 20s @ ISO400 (for both shots)

Doug

What is really cool is seeing the Shuttle and the ISS flying in formation. I was able to catch STS 117 and the ISS. You can also see the Soyuz spacecraft as well when they are up and going to the ISS as well.

[Exploitcorporati...]

It'll be interesting to see if the ISS's computers freak out again upon docking.

I got the impression from post-117 reading that the computer glitch was related to the dramatic change in the shape of the complex from the addition of the S3/S4 element and the effect it had on the particles-and-fields environment surrounding it. Hopefully the problem doesn't repeat itself on this flight or 120 this fall (when the P6 "mast" moves over to it's permanent position). S5 is such a tiny structural addition that it seems unlikely this time.

An observation...it's really neat to see ISS attain a form resembling all of those years of concept art and engineering diagrams. I remember marvelling at the tinkertoy EASE/ACCESS experiment photos from 61B and watching the relatively dreadful "Space Camp" movie and it's station concept as a 10-year old.

[belleraphon1]

Exploitcorporations....

I read somewhere that the station computer problems during STS 117 had been isolated to some corroded
cables.... I will try and find the link.

It is good to see the station finally taking shape. This is quite an engineering achievement, and we need to use this asset to it's fullest. I would really like to see the station used as a port for the construction of the next generation of true space ferries to the planets. But it's low orbit will probably preclude that.

Also good to know that Barbara Morgan is finally up there. I was at work when Challenger and her crew met their fates and was completely stunned.

God speed Endeavour......

Craig

[stevesliva]

S5 is such a tiny structural addition that it seems unlikely this time.

Wellllll, they're adding S5, and Endeavour itself. Don't forget the Station-to-Shuttle power link. I'd guess the Shuttle is completely a power sink rather than a source, though.

[Exploitcorporati...]

True, that...double true. Ditto corroded cables, and well worth a second look. Whatever the cause, I wish I had 240ft PV arrays at my disposal. Hey...wonder if this thing could be bicycle-powered. Always looking for an excuse...

[belleraphon1]

Regarding the ISS computer crash.... and corroded cables...

here is the link "http://www.cbsnews.com/network/news/space/current.html

"While the shuttle astronauts are plowing through their busy schedule, the space station crew - Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, Oleg Kotov and Clay Anderson - will carry out a long, complex repair job to replace a critical component in the Russian computer system. The unit is mounted near an air conditioner in the Zvezda command module and engineers believe corrosion found on cables leading to and from the box may have played a role in widespread computer failures during a June shuttle visit."

Craig

[Stu]

Got the two of them...

Nice shots Doug... amazed you maneged to get anything thru all that light pollution! We had a great view of ISS and Endeavour from here in Kendal last night, sailing together through a gorgeous blue-black sky. ISS is so bright now it almost looks like Venus has been cut loose from the sky and is flying off on its own, and thru binocs it's clearly an extended object now and not a point source as before, just stunning... then 3 or so mins behind Endeavour followed, a beautiful sight, as usual, but even more special to me than usual as Barbara Morgan was kind enough to send me a signed photo and a lovely handwritten letter back in 1991 when I wrote to her asking advice for my Outreach work in schools. I treasure those, and the "Teacher In Space" cloth mission patch she sent me too.

I know there are, strictly speaking, no "Teachers In Space" now, they're "Educator Astronauts", but Barbara and Christa will always be Teachers In Space in my mind. Both were, and continue to be, great inspiration to me as a (very amateur!) Outreach educator, and looking up at Endeavour last night, knowing Barbara was up there at last, after all the waiting, was very moving.

Looking forward to seeing Endeavour docked with ISS now!

[Nix]

Those are cool shots. Do you use AWB for the nightsky Doug?
I usually set it manually at ~2800°. I'm asking this because your skies look kinda red, which is partially due light pollution I guess but can be improved through choice of white balance.

Nico

[djellison]

I don't touch the images really - just leave the JPG as-is from the camera. But - while they are a bit red - if it's cloudy..the sky is that bright and that red. What the long exposure is doing is giving that same brightness from a little bit of haze. Leicester is really REALLY bad for light pollution. It could be tweaked a little - but hey - the camera never lies

Doug