Discovery, STS-128 (Yep, it's that time again)

ynotdu

hugoline wrote: »

Unfortunately not possible to see it in Ireland if they take off as planed.

Sunrise is at 6.20am and it gets bright well before 6...
STS-127 seems to have been the one and only chance

Hi hugaline,did You see the launch of sts-127 in the sky?
I had too much cloud and street lighting to see anything:(
i told a sister of mine who lives more rural where in the sky to look and what time.

she told me she saw a bright light with an orange tail,i found it hard to believe the orange colored bit,surely by the time it would have passed over Ireland it was fully in orbit and its srb,s,fuel tank and the orbiters main engines would have been turned off?
only thing i could think was that she may have seen the main fuel tank before it fell back through athmosphere?????
Anybody see the orange glow she described?

polyfusion

ynotdu wrote: »

Hi hugaline,did You see the launch of sts-127 in the sky?
I had too much cloud and street lighting to see anything:(
i told a sister of mine who lives more rural where in the sky to look and what time.

she told me she saw a bright light with an orange tail,i found it hard to believe the orange colored bit,surely by the time it would have passed over Ireland it was fully in orbit and its srb,s,fuel tank and the orbiters main engines would have been turned off?
only thing i could think was that she may have seen the main fuel tank before it fell back through athmosphere?????
Anybody see the orange glow she described?

I saw it in Dublin, two lights/objects, one white, one orange, and I think the colour is more due to the sunlight reflecting off the objects. SRBs would have been long gone by the time I saw them, so orange light/object probably due to main tank. Both objects moved across the sky together, and it looked like they were getting ever so slightly away from each other as they progressed across the sky (though that may have been more due to expectations than any preceivable difference to my eye).

Didn't notice a glow. The two lights were solid the whole time I saw them.

jumpguy

ynotdu wrote: »

Hi hugaline,did You see the launch of sts-127 in the sky?
I had too much cloud and street lighting to see anything:(
i told a sister of mine who lives more rural where in the sky to look and what time.

she told me she saw a bright light with an orange tail,i found it hard to believe the orange colored bit,surely by the time it would have passed over Ireland it was fully in orbit and its srb,s,fuel tank and the orbiters main engines would have been turned off?
only thing i could think was that she may have seen the main fuel tank before it fell back through athmosphere?????
Anybody see the orange glow she described?

When the shuttle was over Ireland the SRBs had getisonned around 10 minutes before and were not visible over Ireland. The external fuel tank had been gettisoned and was visible underneath the shuttle. It was a distinct orange. This is because the external fuel tank is orange, it's that simple. The shuttle appeared to be a white star above it. Due to their low altitude they went very fast. At the time it was over Ireland the shuttle's main engines were still firing as the shuttle was only around 220km up and the ISS orbits at over 340km up. The engines firing would not be visible to the naked eye.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofnvJBc2xQE

The video is good (especially in HD) but it's alot more impressive to see it in real life straight after launch.

ynotdu

polyfusion wrote: »

I saw it in Dublin, two lights/objects, one white, one orange, and I think the colour is more due to the sunlight reflecting off the objects. SRBs would have been long gone by the time I saw them, so orange light/object probably due to main tank. Both objects moved across the sky together, and it looked like they were getting ever so slightly away from each other as they progressed across the sky (though that may have been more due to expectations than any preceivable difference to my eye).

Didn't notice a glow. The two lights were solid the whole time I saw them.

Thanks for reply,it had been bugging me as the srb,s never make it into space and even at the speed of a shuttle, since it only takes between 9&11 mins to reach zero g the external tank would have been seperated and the main engines switched off by the time it passed over Ireland.
that only leaves the orange bit she and you report seeing as being the external tank,a trick of the eye, or the shuttle appearing to be right behind the iss(although this did happen on sts 127,i think it was not on the first orbit,but later in the catch-up?)
at least now i know she was not*pulling my leg*
but some mystry as to Exactly what the orange glow was remains:)

cheers!

ynotdu

jumpguy wrote: »

When the shuttle was over Ireland the SRBs had getisonned around 10 minutes before and were not visible over Ireland. The external fuel tank had been gettisoned and was visible underneath the shuttle. It was a distinct orange. This is because the external fuel tank is orange, it's that simple. The shuttle appeared to be a white star above it. Due to their low altitude they went very fast. At the time it was over Ireland the shuttle's main engines were still firing as the shuttle was only around 220km up and the ISS orbits at over 340km up. The engines firing would not be visible to the naked eye.

Great video jumpguy,amazing it was tracked for so long by camera!
sorry but our posts overlapped,your post was not here until i typed and submitted my previous post:)

Ricky91t

ynotdu wrote: »

jumpguy wrote: »

When the shuttle was over Ireland the SRBs had getisonned around 10 minutes before and were not visible over Ireland. The external fuel tank had been gettisoned and was visible underneath the shuttle. It was a distinct orange. This is because the external fuel tank is orange, it's that simple. The shuttle appeared to be a white star above it. Due to their low altitude they went very fast. At the time it was over Ireland the shuttle's main engines were still firing as the shuttle was only around 220km up and the ISS orbits at over 340km up. The engines firing would not be visible to the naked eye.

Great video jumpguy,amazing it was tracked for so long by camera!
sorry but our posts overlapped,your post was not here until i typed and submitted my previous post:)

Where i was watching in Kerry,I saw the shuttle coming up over the horizon,Followed by an orange trail(flame?)which soon after stopped and then began to fall behind the shuttle,It was quite cool

Stargate

Ricky91t wrote: »

ynotdu wrote: »

Where i was watching in Kerry,I saw the shuttle coming up over the horizon,Followed by an orange trail(flame?)which soon after stopped and then began to fall behind the shuttle,It was quite cool

One Cool Nite

Everyone remember this thread

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055618844

It had over 26 Thousand Views and the banter was great :D:D

Heres hoping for more !!

Stargate

Khannie

So the shuttle takes off at 6.36 our time, am I correct in assuming that it wont be visible, clouds or otherwise?

jumpguy

I'm not sure, sometimes the ISS is visible in the twilight when it's high in the sky, surely the bright shuttle might be the same?

Kevster

Wow, I've been away for a week but the launch time hasn't changed...? Yeh, it should be 6:36 Irish Standard Time (IST), but it won't be visible from here as far as I know. Just watch it on NASA TV or Sky News.

ynotdu

Kevster wrote: »

Wow, I've been away for a week but the launch time hasn't changed...? Yeh, it should be 6:36 Irish Standard Time (IST), but it won't be visible from here as far as I know. Just watch it on NASA TV or Sky News.

Lol Kevster i thought you had gone and emigrated on us:(

yeah stiil a GO!

it is Beekers trip to Turkey i am worried about.

if you remember the sts127 thread you started,Beeker has never missed a launch from STS1.

He is or is going to be in Turkey for 128 and is very unsure if he will find any way to watch/listen to sts128!

Kevster

ynotdu wrote: »

Lol Kevster i thought you had gone and emigrated on us:(

yeah stiil a GO!

it is Beekers trip to Turkey i am worried about.

if you remember the sts127 thread you started,Beeker has never missed a launch from STS1.

He is or is going to be in Turkey for 128 and is very unsure if he will find any way to watch/listen to sts128!

...actually, I DID emigrate! I'm living in York in the UK now, about to start a PhD at the university there. I spent the last week over there sorting out my bank account, apartment, and other stuff; and will be flying back permanently on Thursday.

Don't they watch shuttle launches in Turkey... ...:o?

Beeker

jumpguy wrote: »

When the shuttle was over Ireland the SRBs had getisonned around 10 minutes before and were not visible over Ireland. The external fuel tank had been gettisoned and was visible underneath the shuttle. It was a distinct orange. This is because the external fuel tank is orange, it's that simple. The shuttle appeared to be a white star above it. Due to their low altitude they went very fast. At the time it was over Ireland the shuttle's main engines were still firing as the shuttle was only around 220km up and the ISS orbits at over 340km up. The engines firing would not be visible to the naked eye.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofnvJBc2xQE

The video is good (especially in HD) but it's alot more impressive to see it in real life straight after launch.

Just one point of correction there. The engines were not in fact firing over Ireland. Fuel for the engines is carried in the tank and they were shut down before the tank was seperated about 8 and a half minutes after launch. These engines are not used again during the flight and all further manouveurs are carried out Orbital manouveuring system (OMS) engines and by smaller rocket trusters on board.

Beeker

Here's to a good launch Tuesday morning. I am on holidays in Turkey at the moment but have the laptop so hope to get into a cafe/bar early in the morning to watch launch on NASA TV.

jumpguy

Beeker wrote: »

Just one point of correction there. The engines were not in fact firing over Ireland. Fuel for the engines is carried in the tank and they were shut down before the tank was seperated about 8 and a half minutes after launch. These engines are not used again during the flight and all further manouveurs are carried out Orbital manouveuring system (OMS) engines and by smaller rocket trusters on board.

I was talking about the 3 main engines at the back of the orbiter. Aren't they firing at that time?

iceage

If the Shuttle does take off at 6.36 out time, how long will it take to pass over Ireland approx? I'm gonna see can I drag my ass out of the sack anyway just in case its clear...you never know might spot it.

ynotdu

Kevster wrote: »

...actually, I DID emigrate! I'm living in York in the UK now, about to start a PhD at the university there. I spent the last week over there sorting out my bank account, apartment, and other stuff; and will be flying back permanently on Thursday.

Don't they watch shuttle launches in Turkey... ...:o?

Well Best of luck in your new *adventure*(not quite going into space but still a big moment for you?)are you going to have home internet acess immeadiatly?will you be staying in touch with boardsie for the flight?

Anyway checked out nasa website/tv a few times this evening,twice in the last two hours there has been lighting strikes within 10 miles of the of the shuttle,that puts them on what they call condition red.they had just gone from red to green when another lightning strike hit so back to red for mo.cloud cover seems heavy over the sts now 23.16hrs.

they had been given an 80% chance of weather conditions being GO for launch and so far hav,nt downgraded that.

fueling going fine at the mo and for night owls the crew are due to board at around 3am.
I always find the closedown crew shaking hands with the astronauts a bit poignant as the first time i seen it live was with the crew of the colombia

best of luck on finding a *hot spot* for your laptop Beeker

23.16 nasa commentator has just said all the fix,s they have done has shown results as no venting of fuel has taken place like the type that delayed sts127.

Godspeed 128!.

Ghost Train

all sounding good so, will this be the last night time launch I wonder?

jumpguy

I've got a plan to do an all-nighter tonight. I hope the launch isn't cancelled. I'll get to see the ISS for the first time since it disappeared, hopefully the shuttle will be visible and other things.

Ghost Train

jumpguy wrote: »

I've got a plan to do an all-nighter tonight. I hope the launch isn't cancelled. I'll get to see the ISS for the first time since it disappeared, hopefully the shuttle will be visible and other things.

hope the weather is okay for it

ynotdu

sunrise in Dublin is at 06.20 as another poster here has said(not to steal his/her credit!)so even on the most western area of Ireland will be in if not daylight at least twilight.So i would not stay awake JUST in the hope of seeing it trail along the sky:D

the shuttle when docked with the iss looks TINY!

iss is hugh with its solar arrays and much more likely to be spotted when in orbit over Ireland at twilight than a shuttle.

the last lighting strike was 12 miles away,NASA gave the go ahead for the final inspecion crew to drive to the shuttle,when they are done the Astronauts and closedown crew are next.

The worry of course is of massive explosion caused by lightning while any human is near the shuttle.
fact that the inspection crew are at work at the mo is a good sign though:)

jumpguy

I know, sunrise here (sun half above horizon) is 6:34 AM. D'you think at such a low altitude the shuttle will be at (about 220KM) it'll be visible?

ynotdu

jumpguy wrote: »

I know, sunrise here (sun half above horizon) is 6:34 AM. D'you think at such a low altitude the shuttle will be at (about 220KM) it'll be visible?

the simple answer to that is I personally dont know jumpguy,i live in a built up area so i miss Most space events,so Astronomy just causes me frustration as i miss just about Everything in the sky,have to depend on the kindness of others to post foto,s video,s etc.

stolen from a post about sts127 below:

jumpguy

Yeah I know that but I'm hoping the fact the sun will be very low in the sky I might be able to see it when it's approaching/at maximum altitude. The ISS is sometimes visible at max altitude when the sun is low in the sky. I'm hoping the same will be for the shuttle.

ynotdu

jumpguy wrote: »

Yeah I know that but I'm hoping the fact the sun will be very low in the sky I might be able to see it when it's approaching/at maximum altitude. The ISS is sometimes visible at max altitude when the sun is low in the sky. I'm hoping the same will be for the shuttle.

the Launch time is 06.36,You have to add the amount of time the sts takes to be overhead into account,it varies from Launch to launch depending on how far *downrange* the shuttle has to go before entering orbit where it needs to.

i would be inclined to believe the posters here who know Astronomy better than me who say the chance,s of seeing todays launch are virtually nil:(

Kevster

Why don't you guys just wait to find out instead of making statements that will only serve to make fools of yourselves... ....and go to bed too!

jumpguy

How do we find out only be going out and looking at the launch?

Kevster

If your grammar was more correct, then maybe I would understand what you're asking me.

Goodnight.

jumpguy

*ahem* Sorry, it's late.

I said how else are we supposed to know if the shuttle will be visible unless we go outside and watch the launch?

ynotdu

Kevster wrote: »

Why don't you guys just wait to find out instead of making statements that will only serve to make fools of yourselves... ....and go to bed too!

Charming Kevster(remind me why i was nice to you in an earlior post?)

some of us are earning money for being awake! :P