Yehaw but that was kool!! Really moving out there/up there. Probably the brightest pass we've had in quite a while.

It was cool... and supposedly we should be able to see this satellite that they're going to shoot down next week.

Warren

Right at the top of the link Joe mentions above you can find info on the errant satellite (at least it was on there earlier this week)... there is a neat chart showing the decay of the orbit, as well as visible passes for your area. You'll have to enter lat/lon or at least a zipcode.

JW

Oh, crap... I waited, but there was a cloud over my house... blast light polution and Nature's sense of humor!... even had my 70mm binocs ready. Drat... but see, JW, manned space flight can be fun... 😉

Bruce, have you ever checked out the Iridium flares on that website? On some nights, you can see several of them. I saw a -8 magnitude the other night, it was clearly visible through a nearby moon and the streetlights. Very cool.

JW

PS they are unmanned 😉

PS they are unmanned

Ha! I'll check it out.

Right at the top of the link Joe mentions above you can find info on the errant satellite (at least it was on there earlier this week)... there is a neat chart showing the decay of the orbit, as well as visible passes for your area. You'll have to enter lat/lon or at least a zipcode.

JW

I hear we are going to try and shoot it down to ummm, send a message...... 😯
hope it works 🙄

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I hear we are going to try and shoot it down to ummm, send a message...... 😯
hope it works 🙄

The Chinese shot down a satellite, and it was much higher up. It caused a great deal of angst because the shrapnel will be descending through the more commonly used zones of orbit for decades. Their shot was internationally condemned. The US attempt is different, in that our satellite is much lower, and debris will not cause the same problems. The bigger issue is that we (allegedly) don't have the technology to shoot down a satellite.

If we fail, after the Chinese succeeded, it will be fodder for China. I sure hope we hit the mark. Incidentally, the reason for the attempt is supposedly the concern over hydrazine tanks. There is also the ticklish issue of the fact that this is a spy satellite, and of course we don't want that technology shared....

Cosmic debris is job security for the folks at NORAD. Anti-missile defense and satelite hunting are all parts of the same madness that let Skylab fall because we weren't ready to share information/technology. Re-entry is still guesswork for uncontrolled objects. "Vonce rockets go up, who cares where they come down, dat's not my department said Werner Von Braun."

Cosmic debris is job security for the folks at NORAD. Anti-missile defense and satelite hunting are all parts of the same madness that let Skylab fall because we weren't ready to share information/technology. Re-entry is still guesswork for uncontrolled objects. "Vonce rockets go up, who cares where they come down, dat's not my department said Werner Von Braun."

Generally speaking, that is correct. The problem is that a golf-ball sized piece of debris is utterly fatal due to the velocities involved. Thousands of little chunks vs. one big chunk is a problem (unless, of course, the big chunk lands on your head).

There was an interesting article on the shuttle in Nation Geographic a few years ago. The average shuttle windshield (which is 4" thick) lasts something like 1.5 flights. The typical reason for replacement, according to National Geo, was that paint flecks would impact the windshield causing a pretty serious divit. Paint chips? Yipes!

Incidentally, the reason for the attempt is supposedly the concern over hydrazine tanks. ....

I read that it was estimated to be 1000 gallons of hydrazine. Talk about a nasty rainstorm below. I'd think that if they at least burst the tank, most would burn up on reentry. But then again, I'm a rocket hobbiest, not a rocket scientist. 😉

Ken

USA 193 Shoot Down Attempt On Thursday
Satellite attack planned for Feb. 21 - right during the lunar eclipse?, The Cosmic Mirror

"A Notice to Airmen has been issued closing a zone near Maui for air traffic on the morning of Feb. 21 from 2:30 to 5:00 UTC - and the to-be-hit satellite USA 193 is crossing that very zone around 3:30 UTC. Furthermore it has been noted that this is during totality of the total lunar eclipse that night which may aid the optical tracking of faint fragments."

Sources: Navy to shoot down failed satellite Thursday, CNN

"NASA Administrator Michael Griffin said there's nothing the military can do to make the outcome worse. "If we miss, nothing changes. If we shoot and barely touch it, the satellite is just barely in orbit" and would still burn up somewhat in the atmosphere, Griffin said. "If we shoot and get a direct hit, that's a clean kill and we're in good shape," he added."

"NASA Administrator Michael Griffin said there's nothing the military can do to make the outcome worse. "If we miss, nothing changes. If we shoot and barely touch it, the satellite is just barely in orbit" and would still burn up somewhat in the atmosphere, Griffin said. "If we shoot and get a direct hit, that's a clean kill and we're in good shape," he added."

Soooo.... Do these guys have thier L3 cert. for this shot??? 8)