[ATMoB-discuss] Shuttle launch article in Eagle Trib

[John Sheff]

-----Original Message-----
From: atmob-discuss-bounces at atmob.org
[mailto:atmob-discuss-bounces at atmob.org] On Behalf Of Peter Bealo
Sent: Thursday, December 07, 2006 7:32 AM
To: valleli at rcn.com; 'ATMOB-discuss'
Subject: RE: [ATMoB-discuss] Shuttle launch article in Eagle Trib

 

Paul,

 

You've got all the issues. But don't throw out the baby with the

bathwater...The Eagle Trib (at least) insist that THEIR reporter write the

story - they will not use an article I write...so the choice is an article

full of (mostly) minor errors or no article. Being the Product Line Mgr that

I am, I go with the adage "perfect is the enemy of the good enough"...so

I'll take it.

 

BTW..this reporter is not a neophyte, she just doesn't know the subject

matter. But she does care enough to go out and get multiple sources.

 

Peter

 

 

-----Original Message-----

From: valleli at rcn.com [mailto:valleli at rcn.com] 

Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2006 10:18 PM

To: Peter Bealo; 'ATMOB-discuss'

Subject: Re: [ATMoB-discuss] Shuttle launch article in Eagle Trib

 

Gosh, Peter, neophyte reporters can really mess things up, can't they ?

 

The newspaper ends up with a bunch of hype that will leave the average

reader greatly disappointed. Spaceflight alone, is awesome enough without

hyperbole.

 

Here are the errors I spotted:

1. The shuttle will pass east-southeast of NH

2. It will only be about 7 degrees above the horizon, trees or buildings may

easily block it from view.

3. I have never heard reports of a passage brighter than 2nd magnitude,one

hundredth or so fainter than a plane's landing lights.

4. There are no flames at T+7:00 only hot blue-white exhaust from the

burning of Hydrogen and O2.

5. A night launch is used when NASA doesn't want to delay a month to get a

rendezvous opportunity. That has nothing to do with a normal landing, just

an emergency one.

6. Viewing time with binoculars will be about three to five minutes with a

clear view of an ocean horizon, not 30 mins. Separation of the fuel tank

from the orbiter may be seen if there are no intervening clouds. A wide

angle telescope may be able to view a "go for orbit".

 

What other errors did I miss?

Paul

 

 

The one thing I would add to what Paul said is that night launches of the
shuttle are by no means rare. NASA’s page listing night launches has 28 of
them up until 2003.

 

Launches up along the eastern seaboard are not unusual, either, and there
will be many more. With the single exception of the Hubble refurbishing
mission, all of the upcoming launches will be going to the ISS – which means
they will be launched into orbits inclined roughly 51°, more or less
paralleling the east coast. (Launching southwards from Florida is impossible
without passing over populated areas.) 

 

Counting the mission currently on the pad, there will be 14 more launches to
the ISS - and possibly 2 “contingency flights” – before the shuttles are
retired. NASA doesn’t like restricting them to day launches, because that
hugely constrains each launch window. So it’s a safe bet that most of those
launches, possibly all of them, will be night launches.

 

Finally, I’d like to point out that if the objective is to see the shuttle,
one needn’t go through all that trouble. It’s *much* easier to see when it
is simply flying overhead. All you have to do is to go to The Heavens
<http://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary.asp?Session=kebgcbnoclnfikdhbmlbmj
di&satid=25544>  Above web site and check the times the ISS flies overhead.
When the shuttle is docked to the station they make a very bright object
going overhead. There will be just such an opportunity on Dec. 15th, and
again on Dec. 16th.  

 

Clear skies!

 

 

 

John Sheff

Cambridge, MA