Re: Some extra special reading for you guys!!

[RTS <gafa@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 5/30/2020 11:41 PM, ABLE1 wrote:
> Hello,
>
> For some reading this you may consider it on a boredom level of 9.6
> On the other hand others might agree this is most amazing and the odds
> of being successful are off the charts.  Either way what you are
> about to read is true and I have witnesses.
>
> As most will know that today 5/30/2020 was the launch of a SpaceX
> rocket from Pad 39A with two astronauts on board.  Doug Hurley and
> Bob Behnken were on board the capsule on top of the Falcon 9 rocket.
> The launch was at 3:22pm and it was a perfect launch to send them to
> the International Space Station.  I watched the launch on the Discovery
> Channel and heard that the final docking won't take place until at
> approx. 10:29am on Sunday.  The capsule will basically be chasing the
> International Space Station in order to catch up.  The ISS is moving at
> 17,500mph at a altitude of 240-260 miles.  The time from the launch to
> docking is about 19 hours.
>
> This got me to thinking.  Hmmmmm   What are the possibilities that the
> ISS is visible tonight in a fly over.  I checked my ISS Spotter App.
> Sure enough the ISS will be visible tonight at 9:39:50pm until 9:55:36pm
> at a angle of 37 degrees above the horizon traveling from NW to SE.
> Then looking at the weather satellite it appeared that the clouds will
> be diminishing so it would be visible.  So that make this other
> possibility even more possible.
>
> What if I could actually see the Endeavour Capsule chasing the ISS??
>
> There was only ONE way to find out.
>
> My wife and I got in the car at 9:15pm and drove up to Breezy View Park
> north of Columbia, Pa.  Got there about 9:35pm.  Did some navigational
> adjustments to determine the direction of the where the ISS would come
> into view.  It was about then that a local cop shows up asking what was
> going on.  So I explained what was about to happen. He got very
> interested and got out of the cruiser so to join the fun.
>
> His name was Gus an was rather impressed with what I was explaining
> to him about the ISS and the possibility of Endeavour Capsule following.
> The difficulty here is how far behind the ISS is the Capsule.  I had no
> clue.  It would just be a matter of dumb luck to first be able to see
> such a small object being lit up by the sun passing some unknown
> distance behind the ISS.
>
> Well just as the time was 9:39:50pm the ISS appeared overhead.  Gus was
> impressed since it was his first time ever seeing it.  As it moved
> across the sky my focus was behind the ISS.  But, how far, and would it
> even be visible??  As the ISS started to get closer to the earths shadow
> I started to give up.  It was at that time that Gus pointed and said
> what is that??  That there it was, a very small spec of light tracking
> behind the ISS.  As for a distance behind the ISS after getting home, I
> did a little mathematical calculation in my CAD software and my best
> guess is 508.775 miles +/- a couple of inches.  :-)
>
> I feel very fortunate that the three(3) of us are part of a very small
> number of the population (I am sure there are others) of the earth that
> actually can say that they saw the SpaceX Endeavour Capsule carrying
> two(2) astronauts (Doug & Bob) in the very first Commercial rocket
> launch from Cape Canaveral launch pad 39A in 9 years as it was trailing
> after the ISS to be docked approximately 12 hours later.
>
> How cool is that!!
>
> So, if you hear it on the news that somebody somewhere saw it as well,
> you can say that you actually know somebody (a NUT) that did the same
> thing!!   Or maybe you don't want to say that at all.  It's your call!!!
>
> Thanks for reading this whole thing (that is if you got past the first
> paragraph) and I hope you enjoyed the story and decide to share with
> others if you dare!!
>
> Have a good rest of your day.
>
> Les


Nicely done,
always nice to have outside interest..
I too remember the first flight for the USA..
I also remember the "Super" Chuck do his flight faster than the
"sound barrier"..
Good Times..   ;-)

--

*Rocky T. Squirrel, esq.*