Xref: utzoo rec.ham-radio:7154 sci.space.shuttle:2122 Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!whuts!homxb!hotps!ka2qhd!kd2bd From: kd2bd@ka2qhd.UUCP ( Wall Township NJ) Newsgroups: rec.ham-radio,sci.space.shuttle Subject: Predictions for viewing ATLANTIS Keywords: STS-27 WILL be visible over our area! Message-ID: <699@ka2qhd.UUCP> Date: 4 Dec 88 03:01:17 GMT Organization: ka2qhd Ocean, NJ Lines: 53 Well, Shuttle ATLANTIS was launched on Friday morning shortly after 9:30 AM EST on a Department of Defense mission. One of the goals of this mission will be to deploy a KH-12 Soviet spy satellite into an eliptical orbit that will allow it to cover 80% of the Soviet Union. There are many who believe that ATLANTIS will be visible over North America on this flight. Since it is a DoD mission, no orbital data has been made available to the public. Orbital data for ATLANTIS has been formulated here at KD2BD. The data is based solely on assumptions and knowing the time of launch. The following data is believed to closely match the orbit of ATLANTIS: ORBITAL INCLINATION : 57 Degrees ORBITAL ALTITUDE : 340 Kilometers NODAL PERIOD : 91.2 minutes/orbit LONGITUDINAL INCREMENT : 23.15 degrees west/orbit SEMI-MAJOR AXIS : 6711 Kilometers ORBITAL VELOCITY : 17,234 miles/hour REFERENCE ORBIT : 14:15 UTC at 100 degrees west (Orbit 0) From this information, the following orbital predictions have been made. These are the times when I believe ATLANTIS will be visible over our area. On Sunday 04Dec88: From 4:25 -to- 4:40 PM. It will rise in the Northwest, pass towards the south, and set towards the Southeast. On Monday 05Dec88: From 4:45 -to- 5:05 PM. It will rise in the West-Northwest, pass towards the south, and set towards the South-Southeast. The KH-12 spy satellite is rumored to be quite large and could also be visible as it is deployed from ATLANTIS. This could make for SPECTACULAR viewing if the weather is clear. If visible, ATLANTIS will appear as a fast moving "star" growing in brilliance as it moves from West to East. It will be the brightest object in the sky, and can be seen without the aid of a telescope or binoculars. I recommend allowing several minutes (+/-) from the above predictions to allow for small errors. The directions may be different (it may cross the North, rather than the South, BUT IT WILL BE VISIBLE ON THE DAYS LISTED). If you succeed in seeing ATLANTIS, drop me a note on NN2Z-4. I would appreciate hearing about your observations. Don't forget to include the day(s) and time(s) you viewed the Shuttle. Good Luck and 73! de John KD2BD @ NN2Z -- UUCP: ucbvax!rutgers!petsd!tsdiag!ka2qhd!kd2bd PACKET: kd2bd @ nn2z