Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!mailrus!ames!elroy!peregrine!ccicpg!cci632!fwb
From: fwb@cci632.UUCP (Fred Brunner)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Any orbital elements available?
Summary: Can we see the current shuttle mission?
Message-ID: <18800@cci632.UUCP>
Date: 30 Sep 88 17:25:42 GMT
References: <2493@pixar.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: CCI, Communications Systems Division, Rochester, NY
Lines: 29


Bill Carson ...!{ucbvax,sun}!pixar!brighton  asked:

> Anyone have any orbital elements for the current shuttle mission? 
> Failing that, does anyone know if the ground track will take it over
> the San Francisco area (date and time would be appreciated too :-)

I sent for the NASA SPARK (Shuttle Prediction and Recognition Kit)
mentioned here a few weeks ago.  It arrived just in time.

It does not include orbital elements, but allows predictions of
visibility based on an elaborate map (which is reprinted for each
mission) and simple time calculations.

The first thing that became clear is that most of the USA will have
little chance of seeing the shuttle during this mission.  The inclination
to the equator is as low as practical (28.5 degrees).  This means it
will never over-fly any spot north (or south) of that latitude.  At
its altitude, it will never be above the horizon for anyone above
35 degrees north.  San Francisco (and New York state) are out of luck.

On future, high inclination, missions we might have a chance.  Visibility
is governed by the relative position of both the shuttle and the sun.  A
few 10 minute windows might exist in each mission.

I would be interested if anyone has software and a source of orbital elements
for visual satellite spotting.

Fred Brunner - Computer Consoles, Inc., Rochester NY