Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!bbn!mit-eddie!mit-amt!mit-caf!paul
From: paul@mit-caf.MIT.EDU (Paul Meyer)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Shuttle Status for 03/15/89 (Forwarded)
Message-ID: <2057@mit-caf.MIT.EDU>
Date: 17 Mar 89 07:16:52 GMT
References: <22814@ames.arc.nasa.gov>
Reply-To: paul@mit-caf.UUCP (Paul Meyer)
Organization: Microsystems Technology Laboratories, MIT
Lines: 15

In article <22814@ames.arc.nasa.gov> yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) writes:
>                            STS-29  -  DISCOVERY (OV 103)
>
>               Liftoff of Discovery came at 9:57:00.0758 a.m., Monday,
					          ^^^^^^^

	Does anybody know how they define the liftoff time so accurately?  
Is it when the command to blow the bolts is sent or something like that?
If it is when the shuttle physically loses contact with the pad, how do
they determine it so accurately?  I know it's a silly question, but I'm 
curious.
-- 
Paul Meyer
paul@caf.mit.edu
Microsystems Technology Laboratory
MIT