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Last Space Shuttle Launch
- Thread starter Sushubh
- Start date
- Replies 18
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Yep STS-135 is the last one for ISS mission as of now. No more are planned.
Btw does anyone here have interest in watching satellites?
I do that regularly. If you want to see ISS (pray for cloudless sky) you can see it tomorrow evening. It will be very very clear, like a bright star and MOVING!! Easily spotable by naked eye.
At 7:21:48 PM till 7:28:04 PM. But you will get just 2 minutes to spot it.. so dont miss it.
How to see: (this is based on Mumbai)
1) Sync your watch to be accurate up to seconds
2) Reach terrace at 7:10PM and plan the position where you will stand
3) Stand facing exact NORTH, look straight (not towards sky)
4) Raise your left arm parallel to ground (pointing at north) and right arm facing vertically up (pointing sky)
5) Now draw an imaginary line joining tip of both hands. The point at half distance on that line is 45 degrees. This is the spot where u have to look at. So look straight towards north and bend your head backwards by 45 degree looking at that imaginary point.
6) The satellite will pass from that point at around 19:22:30 PM, it shud be easily spotable.
7) Once you spot it the satellite will be going towards center of east and south
8) If you miss point 6) then immediately turn 45 degree right i.e. facing center of north and east and head twisted back by abt 55 degree looking at sky, the satellite will pass from that point at 19:24:57PM. It will come from your left and go to right.
Hope you can spot it!
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Update:
Please note that angles are based on Mumbai, angles/direction vary a lot from place to place (because ISS is very close to earth, just abt 300+ kilometers)
You need lots of patience. It takes 6-7 days to figure out angles. I have tried my best so that you dont have to figure out angles. Unfortunately those angles and direction will work only for people in Mumbai and nearby.
Btw does anyone here have interest in watching satellites?
I do that regularly. If you want to see ISS (pray for cloudless sky) you can see it tomorrow evening. It will be very very clear, like a bright star and MOVING!! Easily spotable by naked eye.
At 7:21:48 PM till 7:28:04 PM. But you will get just 2 minutes to spot it.. so dont miss it.
How to see: (this is based on Mumbai)
1) Sync your watch to be accurate up to seconds
2) Reach terrace at 7:10PM and plan the position where you will stand
3) Stand facing exact NORTH, look straight (not towards sky)
4) Raise your left arm parallel to ground (pointing at north) and right arm facing vertically up (pointing sky)
5) Now draw an imaginary line joining tip of both hands. The point at half distance on that line is 45 degrees. This is the spot where u have to look at. So look straight towards north and bend your head backwards by 45 degree looking at that imaginary point.
6) The satellite will pass from that point at around 19:22:30 PM, it shud be easily spotable.
7) Once you spot it the satellite will be going towards center of east and south
8) If you miss point 6) then immediately turn 45 degree right i.e. facing center of north and east and head twisted back by abt 55 degree looking at sky, the satellite will pass from that point at 19:24:57PM. It will come from your left and go to right.
Hope you can spot it!
----------
Update:
Please note that angles are based on Mumbai, angles/direction vary a lot from place to place (because ISS is very close to earth, just abt 300+ kilometers)
You need lots of patience. It takes 6-7 days to figure out angles. I have tried my best so that you dont have to figure out angles. Unfortunately those angles and direction will work only for people in Mumbai and nearby.
Nope red/green flashes is not ISS.. it will be plain white. And no flashes.. continuous bright object. It looks like a falling star.
You dont get to see it everyday. Its not always very bright. But bright enough.
Tomorrow it will be very bright thats why high chance of spotting it even by novice.
It does not pass from same direction. Direction/angles change everyday (but follows strict algorithm and gravity laws)
If you want exact reference this is the site:
Heavens-Above Home Page
You can specify your location and know exact time/angle/direction/brightness magnitude for a visible pass.
Ofcourse you should know how to interpret those numbers and direction. i.e. altitude and azimuth.
You dont get to see it everyday. Its not always very bright. But bright enough.
Tomorrow it will be very bright thats why high chance of spotting it even by novice.
It does not pass from same direction. Direction/angles change everyday (but follows strict algorithm and gravity laws)
If you want exact reference this is the site:
Heavens-Above Home Page
You can specify your location and know exact time/angle/direction/brightness magnitude for a visible pass.
Ofcourse you should know how to interpret those numbers and direction. i.e. altitude and azimuth.
bTW totally offtopic post.....DAMN!! Just saw an small astronomical telescope today at a gift shop.!! According to that shop owner..objects will be x65 times closer!! 1599bucks! :C :X didn't had the money.! :L
VIEW STS-135 today!!
Yes STS-135 which was launched yesterday and now orbiting the earth (final destination is to dock with ISS).
It will pass the indian skies between 19:34:37PM to 19:38:36PM (based on Mumbai)
This time is matching with ISS time just abt 15mins difference.. so one can see both by one visit to terrace.
It will be bright enough to be seen by naked eye. (only condition is clear sky, which i doubt we will get in mumbai)
See this picture to know the direction you have to look for it based on your location in India
Ground Track Plot
If you want exact angle/direction/time based on ur location then visit:
Heavens-Above Home Page
Provide ur location and then click STS-135.
Yes STS-135 which was launched yesterday and now orbiting the earth (final destination is to dock with ISS).
It will pass the indian skies between 19:34:37PM to 19:38:36PM (based on Mumbai)
This time is matching with ISS time just abt 15mins difference.. so one can see both by one visit to terrace.
It will be bright enough to be seen by naked eye. (only condition is clear sky, which i doubt we will get in mumbai)
See this picture to know the direction you have to look for it based on your location in India
Ground Track Plot
If you want exact angle/direction/time based on ur location then visit:
Heavens-Above Home Page
Provide ur location and then click STS-135.
guys...just a doubt...if this is last space shuttle program..then what happens to guys who stay on international space station( IST ) !!? are they stuck there forever...or they abandoned the space station..?! :O
this is the last space shuttle flight. russia has their soyuz spacecrafts that works well. nasa rented soyuz during the period they had halted space shuttle fligths after that accident that took the life of kalpana chawla and other astronauts.
ahh kalpana chawla....i remember when i was small and we observed a minute of silence at our school assembly.! 🙁 So from now on they just rent space shuttles.! hmmmmmmmmm but am guessing its costly than creating a shuttle once and reusing it .?
they are still working on their next generation space vehicle which might or might not be ready by 2015-16. until then russia would probably take over the majority of the trips to the ISS. in the end ISS is not a US property. it is a global venture with investments from a lot of countries including european ones and japan and i believe even india has contributed in some way.
Last space shuttle does not mean really last.. but last as of spacecraft called Atlantis (manned)... no future plans are there.
USA already has plans of sending 3 more space crafts this year. (all unmanned)
currently there are 5 space crafts attached(docked) to ISS - 4 are of Russia!!. Russia is still very strong with space technology.
Here is list of currently docked spacecrafts and future planned space crafts by all countries.
International Space Station - Currently Docked/Docking Schedule
USA already has plans of sending 3 more space crafts this year. (all unmanned)
currently there are 5 space crafts attached(docked) to ISS - 4 are of Russia!!. Russia is still very strong with space technology.
Here is list of currently docked spacecrafts and future planned space crafts by all countries.
International Space Station - Currently Docked/Docking Schedule