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From: jeffg@tekecs.GWD.TEK.COM (Jeff C. Glover)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: could SPOT photograph the shuttle in orbit?
Keywords: SPOT, photograph, shuttle
Message-ID: <11166@tekecs.GWD.TEK.COM>
Date: 20 Mar 89 23:05:15 GMT
Organization: Tektronix Inc., Wilsonville, OR
Lines: 27

Could the SPOT imaging satellite photograph the Shuttle while it's
in orbit?  Several things must be true:

   + the depth-of-field of the lens system must be sufficient to cover both
     the shuttle and the earth (doubtful)

   + the timing; shuttle moving too fast, or SPOT moving too fast, or
     shutter speed of the camera aboard SPOT

   + resolution

   + spectral issues - white shuttle on blue background?

Let me know what your back-of-the-envelope calculations yield, and if
it turns out to be reasonable, maybe we could get SPOT to try it!

This is the result of watching a program running on a Macintosh
tracking both the Shuttle and SPOT - their images coincided briefly.
SPOT is at about 800km altitude while the shuttle was about 250-300km,
if I recall correctly.

(BTW, LANDSAT seems to be going downhill, but I'll entertain arguments
about whether LANDSAT could do the job)
--
Jeff C. Glover, Tektronix                              Platform System Software
PO Box 1000, MS 61-049, Wilsonville, OR 97070            Video/Image Processing
jeffg@loki.WV.TEK.COM (503) 685-2207          Interactive Technologies Division