LIVE: STS-117 Flight Day 13 - Pre-entry check-outs

• #100 by sts1canada on 20 Jun, 2007 22:21
• This could be our last KU pass for the mission or 2nd last one if we are lucky, the crew is ready to deactivate the KU system on board when MCC-H is done using it.
  
  Richard
  
• #101 by DaveS on 20 Jun, 2007 22:24
• Quote

  gordo - 21/6/2007  12:17 AM
  
  

  Quote

  Chris Bergin - 20/6/2007  11:15 PM
  
  Name the place:

  
  SLC6?

  Nope. Richard has it right: the coast of Newfoundland.
• #102 by ApolloLee on 20 Jun, 2007 22:26
• Quote

  jackyg - 20/6/2007  1:44 PM
  
  Did you see the shadow of the shuttle on the clouds? AMAZING!!

  
  
  Whoa...shadow on the clouds? Is this possible?
  
  Well, let me rephrase that... of course it’s possible for something moving in front of light to create a shadow…. I think some Cro Magnon scientist proved that 100,000 years ago…..
  
  But wouldn’t the shuttle’s shadow on Earth be no more than a smaller-than-a-pixel speck from the shuttle. Otherwise, we would not only be talking asbout Atlantis sightings at night, but Atlantis eclipses of the Sun during the day…
  
• #103 by sts1canada on 20 Jun, 2007 22:29
• Thanks Dave, 21 minutes left of this TDRS-East comm pass, 7 minute ZOE coming up, 31 minutes to sunrise, now on orbit 190.5 of STS-117.
  
  Richard
  
• #104 by jackyg on 20 Jun, 2007 22:32
• Quote

  ApolloLee - 21/6/2007  12:26 AM
  
  

  Quote

  jackyg - 20/6/2007  1:44 PM
  
  Did you see the shadow of the shuttle on the clouds? AMAZING!!

  
  
  Whoa...shadow on the clouds? Is this possible?
  
  Well, let me rephrase that... of course it’s possible for something moving in front of light to create a shadow…. I think some Cro Magnon scientist proved that 100,000 years ago…..
  
  But wouldn’t the shuttle’s shadow on Earth be no more than a smaller-than-a-pixel speck from the shuttle. Otherwise, we would not only be talking asbout Atlantis sightings at night, but Atlantis eclipses of the Sun during the day…
  

  
  I don't understand you, but I think I realy saw the shadow of the shuttle reflected on the clouds, and I think I have a picture of it too, but don't know how to put it here.
  
• #105 by George CA on 20 Jun, 2007 22:35
• Quote

  jackyg - 20/6/2007  5:32 PM
  
  

  Quote

  ApolloLee - 21/6/2007  12:26 AM
  
  

  Quote

  jackyg - 20/6/2007  1:44 PM
  
  Did you see the shadow of the shuttle on the clouds? AMAZING!!

  
  
  Whoa...shadow on the clouds? Is this possible?
  
  Well, let me rephrase that... of course it’s possible for something moving in front of light to create a shadow…. I think some Cro Magnon scientist proved that 100,000 years ago…..
  
  But wouldn’t the shuttle’s shadow on Earth be no more than a smaller-than-a-pixel speck from the shuttle. Otherwise, we would not only be talking asbout Atlantis sightings at night, but Atlantis eclipses of the Sun during the day…
  

  
  I don't understand you, but I think I realy saw the shadow of the shuttle reflected on the clouds, and I think I have a picture of it too, but don't know how to put it here.
  

  
  Very simple! New post, click "Attach a file after posting" post and add the image. However, what you are claiming is impossible, so it'll be interesting to see what this image was.
• #106 by jackyg on 20 Jun, 2007 22:37

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• #107 by sts1canada on 20 Jun, 2007 22:37
• 13 minutes to the ZOE, 23 minutes to sunrise on this pass, still no word from the crew or MCC-H on the deactivation status of the KU antenna, it was time lined to occur in about 20 minutes, comm will then occur through the S-band antenna system (voice only) for the remainder of the mission.
  
  Richard
  
• #108 by sts1canada on 20 Jun, 2007 22:43
• A shadow on the clouds is not so impossible as you may think, sure it won't be huge, but the sun was low in the "sky" compared to the orbiter as the shuttle was entering a night pass with a large blanket of smooth white clouds below, a very small shadow could be seen at the time. If you remember from STS-115 after the FCS and RCS checkouts were completed, one of the gap fillers came out of the belly of the shuttle and the INCO officer could spot it against a large white cloud field, so why not a shadow if the sun angle is right?
  
  Richard
  
• #109 by ApolloLee on 20 Jun, 2007 22:44
• Quote

  George CA - 20/6/2007  3:35 PM
  
  
  Very simple! New post, click "Attach a file after posting" post and add the image. However, what you are claiming is impossible, so it'll be interesting to see what this image was.

  
  
  If the shuttle sees its shadow, does it mean an extra day in orbit?
• #110 by Rocket Guy on 20 Jun, 2007 22:45
• I'm not sure what it is that are you seeing. This is a view from the ISS, not the shuttle. And there is no shadow of the shuttle on the clouds, as that would be impossible.
• #111 by sts1canada on 20 Jun, 2007 22:48
• In this case Apollo, I think you are right, the weather forecast for KSC tomorrow looks bad, if she can't make it in on the first rev opp., I think it will be impossible for the next rev. opp., so Atlantis could be up for another day. A KSC landing will be great if it is safe to keep the manifest is good order for the rest of the year, (unless other technical or weather issues come up).
  
  Richard
  
• #112 by Rocket Guy on 20 Jun, 2007 22:49
• The shuttle's "shadow" on the clouds is akin to Mercury's shadow when it transits the sun. Essentially it is nonexistent but using spectral analysis, the loss of light could be detected :-)
• #113 by Ford Mustang on 20 Jun, 2007 22:50
• Go for KU Band Antenna stowage.  No more TV from Atlantis.  
  
  Next time we'll see anything from Atlantis is probably the HUD during landing tomorrow, or a high-distance camera.
• #114 by sts1canada on 20 Jun, 2007 22:50
• The KU will be stowed during this ZOE pass starting now and it last for the next 7 minutes, comm with TDRS-West on S-band only & will resume in 7 - 10 minutes but the comm will be ratty (static sounds) for a while, so no more TV coverage for this mission.
  
  Richard
• #115 by sts1canada on 20 Jun, 2007 22:54
• There is no need for a NC 6 burn this evening that could have been used to adjust the orbit to line up tomorrow's landing opps. as the last waste water dump provided the necessary orbital adjustments as reported by MCC-H PAO Kelly Humphries.
  
  Richard
  
• #116 by jackyg on 20 Jun, 2007 22:54
• I'm a rookie about this all, but I called my daughter to let her also see it. I was to late to take the first time the picture, but I think I really saw the shadow of the shuttle, it also moved at the same speed as the shuttle .
  But I could be wrong and I appologize for the confusion I made.
  
  jacqueline
• #117 by stockman on 20 Jun, 2007 22:55
• The KU coverage has been great. thanks to NASA for having it and thanks to sts1canada and others for updating us throughout!
• #118 by sts1canada on 20 Jun, 2007 22:55
• 1 minute to TDRS-West S-Band only comm coverage, 4 minutes to sunrise on this pass but we won't see it.
  
  Richard
  
• #119 by jmjawors on 20 Jun, 2007 22:58
• Yeah, I think you grabbed the wrong screen shot, but there were some remarks about the shadow being seen in the clouds.  Wish I'd been watching then.