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Shuttle launch from the Space Station


Sarge

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Nice pic, but is that really from the station? Seems like the camera's really low (like, 90 miles too low. Still well within the visible atmosphere.)

The upper-level clouds (which typically seem to occur 10-15 miles up) seem to be just about level with the camera. (And the shuttle is clearly still headed up in that picture, rather than heading East, (and the SRBs haven't seperated yet). I don't have a reference book available, but I think that happens when the shuttle's 10-20 miles high.) The camera also doesn't look a lot higher than the shuttle.

And I would have thought that if the shuttle were headed to rendezvous with the station, then it would launch while the station were well west of the shuttle (since at that point in the launch profile, the station's traveling East at Mach 25 or so, and the shuttle's still doing more like Mach 5.) Therefore, if they're "aiming for" the station, they have to "lead the target" by a lot.

I'm not arguing with you. Just commenting that the picture looks like it was taken from much lower, more like airliner cruising height. (Although I think it's safe to be that NASA doesn't allow airlines too close to a launch, either.)

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Nice pic, but is that really from the station? Seems like the camera's really low (like, 90 miles too low. Still well within the visible atmosphere.)

The upper-level clouds (which typically seem to occur 10-15 miles up) seem to be just about level with the camera. (And the shuttle is clearly still headed up in that picture, rather than heading East, (and the SRBs haven't seperated yet). I don't have a reference book available, but I think that happens when the shuttle's 10-20 miles high.) The camera also doesn't look a lot higher than the shuttle.

And I would have thought that if the shuttle were headed to rendezvous with the station, then it would launch while the station were well west of the shuttle (since at that point in the launch profile, the station's traveling East at Mach 25 or so, and the shuttle's still doing more like Mach 5.) Therefore, if they're "aiming for" the station, they have to "lead the target" by a lot.

I'm not arguing with you. Just commenting that the picture looks like it was taken from much lower, more like airliner cruising height. (Although I think it's safe to be that NASA doesn't allow airlines too close to a launch, either.)

Zoom lens

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Zoom lens

Yeah, I understand that the picture could have been taken from 100 miles up and 2,000 miles away, with a really long lens.

(My problem with that theory is that I'd expect a lot more haze (at least in the parts that show "ground level") if the picture was taken through 1,000 miles of atmosphere.)

Still, Larry. Quit trying to solve the geometry problem, and admire the pretty picture.

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Yeah, I understand that the picture could have been taken from 100 miles up and 2,000 miles away, with a really long lens.

(My problem with that theory is that I'd expect a lot more haze (at least in the parts that show "ground level") if the picture was taken through 1,000 miles of atmosphere.)

Still, Larry. Quit trying to solve the geometry problem, and admire the pretty picture.

honestly, I thought the same thing, as did many others I'm sure. The shuttle appears to be almost as high as the camera. but It's too high for aircraft and probably too low for satalites so.....zoom lens :)

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honestly, I thought the same thing, as did many others I'm sure. The shuttle appears to be almost as high as the camera. but It's too high for aircraft and probably too low for satalites so.....zoom lens :)

Get used to it Dino (as if you didn't already know (but of course you did, since you've been here a while,)) Larry likes to "rain" on parades.

;)

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Clearly a fake.

Look in the bottom right hand corner.

If those numbers were real, you'd be able to see them from the ground.

~Bang

Geography book I had (way back. It may have been a stone tablet.) had a quote from a Tom Sawyer book as one of the chapter openings. (Going from memory):

(Tom and friends are in a balloon, looking down):

Tom: Look at all that down there. You figure we're in Illinois now?

Huck: Nah, We must be in Indiana.

Tom: How can you tell?

Huck: Remember that map in the schoolroom? Illinois is pink. Indiana's green. You see any pink down there?

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