Ok, that's typical Jim on the orbiters How about this - favorite payload?
Interesting LDEF shot. It came home looking a bit worse for wear, didn't it?Whatever happened to it?
Quote from: Jim on 03/11/2011 10:58 pmIn scan0052.jpg, of the GAS can, isn't that a "Remove Before Flight" tag (the red tag on the lower right side of the cannister) that, uhh, wasn't removed before flight?
Guess which spacecraft?
Quote from: Alpha Control on 03/11/2011 11:05 pmQuote from: Jim on 03/11/2011 10:58 pmIn scan0052.jpg, of the GAS can, isn't that a "Remove Before Flight" tag (the red tag on the lower right side of the cannister) that, uhh, wasn't removed before flight? Look closer. At the top of the image you can see the OPF platforms and a couple of people standing on the platforms.
Quote from: Jim on 03/11/2011 10:54 pmGuess which spacecraft?Okay, this is tough. Clearly not going to Mir or ISS (no ODS). But wrapped in what looks like cellophane, hmmm. I assume the cellophane was removed before payload bay door closure? I can't recall any launch config like that.So what could it be? You say "spacecraft", Jim, not "payload", which makes me assume it's going to be deployed and not returned to the ground, i.e. GRO is a spacecraft and UARS is a payload.Further assuming that the portion nearest the airlock hatch is the top of the spacecraft, and that the other end likely has a PAM-D or IUS attached for boosting said spacecraft someplace higher than LEO.Through the cellophane I make out a black section against a curved silver section. Not Hubble, not Magellan, not Gallileo - of this group only Hubble had a curved silver section, but the black object is too high up to be Hubble's comm antenna.Ulysses?Do I get points for any of my above deductions?
Quote from: Alpha Control on 03/11/2011 11:24 pmQuote from: Jim on 03/11/2011 10:54 pmGuess which spacecraft?Okay, this is tough. Clearly not going to Mir or ISS (no ODS). But wrapped in what looks like cellophane, hmmm. I assume the cellophane was removed before payload bay door closure? I can't recall any launch config like that.So what could it be? You say "spacecraft", Jim, not "payload", which makes me assume it's going to be deployed and not returned to the ground, i.e. GRO is a spacecraft and UARS is a payload.Further assuming that the portion nearest the airlock hatch is the top of the spacecraft, and that the other end likely has a PAM-D or IUS attached for boosting said spacecraft someplace higher than LEO.Through the cellophane I make out a black section against a curved silver section. Not Hubble, not Magellan, not Gallileo - of this group only Hubble had a curved silver section, but the black object is too high up to be Hubble's comm antenna.Ulysses?Do I get points for any of my above deductions?That is the orbiter's Ku band antenna.The film was removed before launch