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#80 by trlstyle on 28 Nov, 2007 03:54
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:nose:
http://www.weather.com/outlook/homeandgarden/home/tenday/USFL0372?from=36hr_fcst10DayLink_home
but who knows how these things play out... -
#81 by ChrisC on 28 Nov, 2007 15:34
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I guess it's time to start the STS-122 weather handwringing thread.
You'll see far better analysis than weather.com here at NSF shortly. Go look at the STS-120 thread for an example.
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#82 by ChrisC on 28 Nov, 2007 15:36
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Hi guys -
I'm going to repost two of my questions from two days ago. Hopefully one of you has an answer.
3. What happens if I buy tickets for an Up-Close tour on a day that BECOMES a launch day due to delays? Do I get a rain check?
4. Does the Up-Close tour have phased start times? Or is there just one daily run of it?
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#83 by on 28 Nov, 2007 16:12
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Quote
Andrewwski - 27/11/2007 4:00 PM
QuoteCTdave - 27/11/2007 9:22 AM
I just had to respectfully decline my 6 causeway vip passes from my congressman.....My other request came through! BANANNA CREEK, HERE WE COME!!!!!!!!
We fly down next Wednesday & will be staying on Cocoa Beach.
How'd you manage Banana Creek? Another congressman, or contacts within NASA?
inquiring minds would like to know? Bananna Creek is where the contractor's for Nasa employees' view the launch -
#84 by CTdave on 28 Nov, 2007 17:07
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Quote
Andrewwski - 27/11/2007 4:00 PM
QuoteCTdave - 27/11/2007 9:22 AM
I just had to respectfully decline my 6 causeway vip passes from my congressman.....My other request came through! BANANNA CREEK, HERE WE COME!!!!!!!!
We fly down next Wednesday & will be staying on Cocoa Beach.
How'd you manage Banana Creek? Another congressman, or contacts within NASA?
I found a contact at NASA.
Including my wife & two kids, I am taking my parents. My father worked for Union Carbide's Lindey division back in the 60's. They developed quite a few components used in the Apollo program (which I listed in my request) as well as delivered 480,000 pounds of liquid propellant to Appolo 11.
With all of my father's involvement with the Apollo program, he never was able to be on hand for a live launch. My new friend at NASA didn't hesitate to help us out! -
#85 by el_nino on 28 Nov, 2007 17:40
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Quote
ChrisC - 28/11/2007 11:36 AM
Hi guys -
I'm going to repost two of my questions from two days ago. Hopefully one of you has an answer.
3. What happens if I buy tickets for an Up-Close tour on a day that BECOMES a launch day due to delays? Do I get a rain check?
4. Does the Up-Close tour have phased start times? Or is there just one daily run of it?
I can't answer question #3 as I have no experience with that at all. However, in response to question #4 - yes it does have phased start times. They start at about 9:50am and keep running until about 3pm or something like that. When you buy your tickets you will have the option for which time you would like to take your tour, or if you buy them at the gate at the visitor's center they usually just put you on the next available one. -
#86 by ChrisC on 28 Nov, 2007 18:46
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OK, thanks el_nino. I've gone ahead and purchased Up-Close for Friday the 7th, and I guess I'll find out what happens if the launch is postponed to that day.
FYI, the system wouldn't let me purchase ANY special tour tickets for Thursday December 6th; they were all "unavailable". I don't know if that's because they were sold out or if there are no special tours on launch day, but it's probably the latter.
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#87 by bkellysky on 28 Nov, 2007 21:06
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With a planned launch time of 4:32 pm EST, six minutes after sunset in the New York City area, maybe we'll be able to see part of powered flight. I remember an after sunset launch that was very easy to see from here, but I think it was more than a few minutes after sunset.
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#88 by TJL on 28 Nov, 2007 22:37
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This came from a local astronomer in the New York area...
With the most recent Shuttle mission now behind us, here is something for
all of you folks to take note of regarding the next Shuttle launch (Atlantis/STS-122),
that is tentatively scheduled for December 6 at 4:31 p.m. EST
This is going to be most interesting because that launch time is 4 minutes
after local sunset in our area.
Back on September 12, 1991, STS-48 was launched at 7:11 p.m., or just 1-minute
after local sunset here. That was probably the best launch I've ever seen from the
NY area, because the Shuttle and its external tank was illuminated by sunlight.
This made the Shuttle appear incredibly bright . . . from Long Island
I estimated the brightness of the "stack" at
magnitude -5 -- brighter than the planet Venus!
Moreover . . . instead of flickering out into invisibility at MECO, what was seen
was a "puff" of vapor. Thereafter, the Shuttle continued to be visible as it sailed off
toward the northeast. Moreover, with binoculars, you could actually see the
separation of the whitish orbiter from the dull orange external tank.
A spectacular sight, indeed!
I would suspect that this type of display will again be visible next month, but
ONLY if the Shuttle gets off on schedule! If the flight is delayed even by one day
(to December 7), then the launch will occur about 24 minutes earlier . . . before
sunset. I can't honestly say whether or not the illumination angle on the vehicle will
allow us to still see it -- my gut feeling says yes, but we've never had a mission launch
so close to just before sunset, so we have no precedent for determining what might
be seen (as compared to just after sundown with the 1991 flight).
Any more of a delay . . . to December 8 and beyond . . . would probably result in
no visibility at all; the launch would come before 4 p.m. and the sky is pretty
bright at that time.
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#89 by bkellysky on 28 Nov, 2007 23:28
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STS-48 sounds like the one I saw. I remember that the launch was delayed and the delay pushed the launch time until after sunset for me in Elmsford, NY, just north of NYC. The NASA mission page says it was delayed for 14 minutes by a communications network issue. STS-48 also had a 57 degree orbit inclination, which made brought it closer to us than the 51.7 degree inclination for the ISS missions. Very bright due to the combination of reflected sunlight and the glow of the three main engines in a darkening sky.
I'm thinking about whether I'll stay at work and try to see it from my office in downtown Manhattan. It might be blocked by other buildings.
I've tried to see a shuttle flight in daylight, but I don't remember being able to do that, so an on-time launch would be nice, weather and safety permitting.
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#90 by ChrisC on 29 Nov, 2007 01:56
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I searched and searched for this before posting ...
I'm bringing my scanner with me. Does anyone know what radio frequencies are available for tuning into at KSC during a launch? I already know about the following:
NASA TV audio on 146.94 MHz (from ~3 hours before liftoff to landing)
NASA (TV?) audio on 442.6 MHz
WMMB launch coverage on AM 1240 and AM 1350
I also found this listing, but I'm not sure if it's current:
296.800 MHz - Air-to-ground, or orbiter-to-suit
259.700 MHz - Air-to-ground, or suit-to-orbiter
279.000 MHz - Suit-to-orbiter, or suit-to-suit
243.000 MHz - Standard military aircraft emergency frequency
But I thought I read somewhere (here, probably) about launch / flight control room audio being available too. THAT would be killer.
I found lots of web page with a gazillion frequencies, but I think they're mostly outdated since KSC apparently did a radio upgrade somewhat recently. I can just pick up regular analog carriers, not digital trunks or anything fancy like that. And the SRB boats and range control freqs would be nice but I really want to listen to the control room ...
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#91 by Jim on 29 Nov, 2007 02:30
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146.94 is the only thing which is NTV. "Control room" (LCC) was never broadcast on anything other than 146.94. There are loud speakers with the same commentary as NTV.
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#92 by Andrewwski on 29 Nov, 2007 02:35
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442.6 would be the audio frequency for the amateur television the local amateur radio club sets up. They broadcast NASA TV video/audio over the air on cable channel 57.
When I watched 118, one of the AM radio stations also had NTV coverage on from T-9 to MECO. No babbling over it at all. It was quite useful.QuoteTJL - 28/11/2007 6:37 PM
This came from a local astronomer in the New York area...
With the most recent Shuttle mission now behind us, here is something for
all of you folks to take note of regarding the next Shuttle launch (Atlantis/STS-122),
that is tentatively scheduled for December 6 at 4:31 p.m. EST
This is going to be most interesting because that launch time is 4 minutes
after local sunset in our area.
Back on September 12, 1991, STS-48 was launched at 7:11 p.m., or just 1-minute
after local sunset here. That was probably the best launch I've ever seen from the
NY area, because the Shuttle and its external tank was illuminated by sunlight.
This made the Shuttle appear incredibly bright . . . from Long Island
I estimated the brightness of the "stack" at
magnitude -5 -- brighter than the planet Venus!
Moreover . . . instead of flickering out into invisibility at MECO, what was seen
was a "puff" of vapor. Thereafter, the Shuttle continued to be visible as it sailed off
toward the northeast. Moreover, with binoculars, you could actually see the
separation of the whitish orbiter from the dull orange external tank.
A spectacular sight, indeed!
I would suspect that this type of display will again be visible next month, but
ONLY if the Shuttle gets off on schedule! If the flight is delayed even by one day
(to December 7), then the launch will occur about 24 minutes earlier . . . before
sunset. I can't honestly say whether or not the illumination angle on the vehicle will
allow us to still see it -- my gut feeling says yes, but we've never had a mission launch
so close to just before sunset, so we have no precedent for determining what might
be seen (as compared to just after sundown with the 1991 flight).
Any more of a delay . . . to December 8 and beyond . . . would probably result in
no visibility at all; the launch would come before 4 p.m. and the sky is pretty
bright at that time.
How far west could you see it? I'm a few hundred miles northwest of you guys (I'm in Buffalo), but I'm wondering if it's visible like in NYC. -
#93 by TJL on 29 Nov, 2007 03:21
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#94 by Ronsmytheiii on 29 Nov, 2007 04:02
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Looking at the map above, I should be able to see the launch after SRB seperation to MECO. Does anyone have viewing tips for someone looking to watch the shuttle from farther north after SRB seperation? I did bring my high power binoculars to school, now to make sure I am out of class!
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#95 by ChrisC on 29 Nov, 2007 16:25
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During the STS-120 landing, I learned about NASA's Java applet at
http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/SSapplications/Post/JavaSSOP/JavaSSOP.html
... that included data for the ATMOSPHERIC LANDING approach trajectory for Discovery. Each orbit's landing opportunity appeared as a spacecraft to choose from in the list. Does anyone know if they will be loading in the nominal launch trajectory for each STS-122 launch attempt? If so, when do they load that in? It's not in there right now, just the usual satellites including ISS.
I have some family and friends in the NYC area that I'd like to point in the right direction. Sure, duh, it's South-Southeast, but altitudes, times, etc ...
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#96 by ntschke on 29 Nov, 2007 20:43
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Is there a link to the story on Space.com about the "spot the shuttle" graphic above? That site is so cluttered with stuff I almost had a seizure...
Thanks
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#97 by Andrewwski on 29 Nov, 2007 20:55
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Wow...I'm like right on the line...chances are I could get to a place that could see it. Although that's really counting on the fact that there will be no clouds, which at this time of the year, is highly unlikely.
What determines the extent of visibility until MECO? The vehicle being below the horizon, or the brightness being too low in magnitude? -
#98 by TJL on 29 Nov, 2007 22:00
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Since the STS-48 launch in 1991, I was able to see about 8 shuttle launches from Long Island, New York.
It appears approximately 8 minutes into flight, and is visible through MECO and ET separation, which is a pretty impressive sight.
From L.I., the shuttle is somewhere between 15 and 20 degrees above the horizon...first becoming visible in the SSE...moving quite quickly towards the SE. Without binoculars it looks like an orange colored bright star, but with binoculars, you can actually see the "v-shaped" exhaust.
At MECO, the light goes out, but you can see the thrusters fire on and off for about 10 seconds.
Of course you'll need clear (pre-sunrise, or post sunset) skys in your area.
If you've never seen this portion of powered flight, you're in for a treat! -
#99 by ntschke on 29 Nov, 2007 22:46
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OK, what I found is that the graphic and related article (http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/061205_shuttle_spotting.html) are from last year's launch of Discovery for STS 116. (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-116.html)
Where did the info above come from? And is there any possibility of seeing any part of next week's launch along the east coast with an earlier scheduled liftoff?