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#360
by
Ben the Space Brit
on 27 May, 2010 17:41
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@ JimO,
Apparently X-37 has solar arrays. I assume that the flare is the sunlight catching the arrays at exactly the right angle (similar to what happens with Iridium comsats).
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#361
by
edkyle99
on 27 May, 2010 18:05
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@Ed
Yes its confirmed.
pic below is from the video link posted before, but lets get back on topic.....
Sorry to belabor the point, but what is confirmed - that it was AV-012 or that it was last December's Ariane 5? I've heard more than one answer.
- Ed Kyle
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#362
by
edkyle99
on 27 May, 2010 18:06
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@ JimO,
Apparently X-37 has solar arrays. I assume that the flare is the sunlight catching the arrays at exactly the right angle (similar to what happens with Iridium comsats).
Might it also be reflection of off a radiator, similar to the orbiter radiators inside the payload bay doors?
- Ed Kyle
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#363
by
yinzer
on 27 May, 2010 18:22
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@ JimO,
Apparently X-37 has solar arrays. I assume that the flare is the sunlight catching the arrays at exactly the right angle (similar to what happens with Iridium comsats).
Might it also be reflection of off a radiator, similar to the orbiter radiators inside the payload bay doors?
Or an antenna, which is what the Iridium flares are. Given the general matte nature of the X-37 and the presence of a few known specular surfaces, flares are likely.
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#364
by
Jester
on 28 May, 2010 15:19
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Updated element set:
OTV-1 405 X 418 km
1 36514U 10015A 10147.12961170 .00000469 00000-0 73607-5 0 06
2 36514 39.9921 146.5125 0009492 239.0914 120.8964 15.52672295 04
Arc 20100521.36-0527.14 WRMS resid 0.039 totl 0.013 xtrk
source:
SeeSat-L
Tim Luton, Mike McCants, Jim Nix, Brad Young and Ted Molczan
New update:
OTV-1 400 X 423 km
1 36514U 10015A 10148.09435583 .00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 00
2 36514 39.9849 140.6316 0016616 253.1765 106.7224 15.52662485 09
Arc 20100521.36-0528.1 WRMS resid 0.109 totl 0.026 xtrk
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#365
by
Robson68
on 28 May, 2010 19:01
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What are these numbers folks, sorry fir being the amateur.
Any news on landing?
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#366
by
Stephan
on 28 May, 2010 19:04
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#367
by
Pittsburgh
on 29 May, 2010 06:18
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#368
by
WHAP
on 29 May, 2010 13:52
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I can't focus well enough to see the detail he says he sees, but it's still pretty neat that he got it.
His video of the launch (posted lower down on that page) is also impressive, although his titles are incorrect (he says the X-37B is firing, but it's actually Centaur). Tracking Centaur to the horizon from Orlando is quite a feat.
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#369
by
bkellysky
on 30 May, 2010 12:52
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I caught the X-37B in a 20 sec exposure of the sky over my house last night just north of New York City.
It's posted at
http://bkellysky.wordpress.com/It was easy to see with the naked eye, since I was expecting it, but very faint. It barely shows up in the photo, which I took at the maximum sensitivity available on my Canon Rebel, ISO 1600.
bob
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#370
by
Bubbinski
on 30 May, 2010 22:46
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I looked out using Heavens Above's info and saw the X-37B myself last night. It was maybe about mag 2 or 3 and kind of amber colored, not bright white. It flew close to Saturn and was visible for a few minutes right at the appointed time.
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#371
by
vt_hokie
on 31 May, 2010 01:40
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I just saw it pass over New Jersey! Pretty neat...
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#372
by
edkyle99
on 31 May, 2010 04:16
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I just saw it pass over New Jersey! Pretty neat...
Ditto from Chicago. It came right on time. Dim though, especially with the Moon rising.
- Ed Kyle
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#373
by
Ben the Space Brit
on 31 May, 2010 07:31
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I just saw it pass over New Jersey! Pretty neat...
Ditto from Chicago. It came right on time. Dim though, especially with the Moon rising.
These observations all fit in with the suggestion that the X-37's colour scheme was deliberately chosen to be low-albedo.
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#374
by
yinzer
on 31 May, 2010 18:48
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I just saw it pass over New Jersey! Pretty neat...
Ditto from Chicago. It came right on time. Dim though, especially with the Moon rising.
These observations all fit in with the suggestion that the X-37's colour scheme was deliberately chosen to be low-albedo.
Doubtful, the black is there for thermal control during re-entry and the white is there for thermal control on orbit. It's the same color scheme as the space shuttle, which was not designed to be low albedo.
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#375
by
Ben the Space Brit
on 31 May, 2010 20:32
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I just saw it pass over New Jersey! Pretty neat...
Ditto from Chicago. It came right on time. Dim though, especially with the Moon rising.
These observations all fit in with the suggestion that the X-37's colour scheme was deliberately chosen to be low-albedo.
Doubtful, the black is there for thermal control during re-entry and the white is there for thermal control on orbit. It's the same color scheme as the space shuttle, which was not designed to be low albedo.
Actually, the X-37 is
grey and black. Quite dark grey at that. Look at the pictures of it being placed in its PLF for confirmation.
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#376
by
nooneofconsequence
on 31 May, 2010 22:05
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Trust me its not an "low observability" target. Saw it with a fairly nice flare, probably off the deployed panel.
Of course if you retracted the panel, closed the doors, and maneuvered to a low profile attitude ... it might be very hard to spot. So it could "hide".
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#377
by
Lee Jay
on 01 Jun, 2010 04:48
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That is one *crazy* difficult target! Dim, small, fast, far. I need a bigger scope! Taken with a little 5" Meade ETX-125PE with a Canon 1.4x TC and a Canon T2i.
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#378
by
yinzer
on 01 Jun, 2010 06:46
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OK, so it's grey, black, and white. The black is still necessary for reentry, and while I don't know what the gray thermal protection material is, I will note that the changes in color on the X-37 appear to line up pretty closely with the different temperatures expected during re-entry.
The X-37 is small and not covered in metallic foil; this is what makes it hard to see compared to the typical satellites viewed from the ground.
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#379
by
Jester
on 01 Jun, 2010 07:53
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updated elements
OTV-1 401 X 422 km
1 36514U 10015A 10151.11718796 .00000981 00000-0 15344-4 0 06
2 36514 39.9851 122.0220 0015062 271.9297 87.9790 15.52676994 00
Arc 20100520.69-0531.13 WRMS resid 0.190 totl 0.023 xtrk