Aihnss.2628
net.space
utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!ihnss!karn
Sat Mar 27 19:16:00 1982
Shuttle Visibility; Communications query
After the launch of STS-3, I derived an approximate set of
orbital elements and ran them through a program I have that checks
for visibility for my location.  It has been making 4 or so passes
daily, all during daylight, past my location (Chicago).

Unfortunately, none of the passes occur during twilight, which is the
only time the shuttle can be optically sighted.  This checks with an
AP news story I saw which has the shuttle being visible only twice
from the USA during the STS-3 mission: once from Honolulu and once
from New Orleans.

The problem is the time of launch (middle morning) and the low
orbital inclination (38 degrees).  The orbital inclination is kept
low to maximize the payload capacity, and the time of launch is fixed
by daylight requirements at the launch and abort landing sites.

I'm sure that when Vandenburg starts up, there should be some
opportunities for sighting the shuttles, since they'll be launched
into polar orbits from there.

On another subject: does anybody have a DETAILED description of the
communications gear aboard the shuttle?  I have a list of S-band and
UHF frequencies, but I don't know the modulation schemes used and which
channels carry voice, data, TV, etc.

Phil Karn