G8IFF/W8IFF said:
Which satellite prediction program do we see on the big screen on the NASA TV broadcasts from mission control in Houston?
There are several different views you may see, but the main thing that we "see" is the background map. Several "free" programs now utilize the map made from composite satellite images that looks natural and cloud-free. A good example someone pointed out is the default image in Orbitron.
What sets the NASA maps apart is that they also usually show the coverage area of the three primary TDRS relay satellites, and marks on the future ground tracks to indicate orbital sunrise and sunsets. As the shuttle (or ISS) moves about the orbit, those coverage circles help visualize the "TDRSS handovers" where communications will drop out for a minute or a few. You may also notice on the ISS map view, the range circles about the Russian ground stations. During de-orbit and re-entry the background goes black and you'll see blue range circles about the various US radar tracking sites. During Joint-Ops with both Shuttle and ISS, they show Lat/Lon/Alt stats in the upper corners of the display. Lots of things they can turn on/off.
The other display (my personal favorite) provides a multi-view in 3D space. I've heard it refered to as 'Birds Eye View' or BEV. I've seen similar applications running on SGI computers, with a 3 pane window... the top one a side view parallel to the velocity vector, with gravity down. The lower panes showing 1) a view from above sighting down along gravity, and 2) a view from slightly above looking forward along the velocity vector. These views are fed by live telemetry data that will include the vehicles orientation respective to those vectors. I really like watching those during orientation adjustments. If you can watch before docking, you can see how the ISS is rotated around to place the docking port 'in back' so that the Shuttle's TPS is better protcted from any orbital debris. If you see this display before re-entry you can see how they turn tail-forward in preparation for the de-orbit burn... I really enjoy watching this stuff.
Still tho, it is hard to beat the 3D view in InstantTrack, especially on one of those Molniya orbits like AO-13, whippin around perigee - whoosh !
Enjoy /;^)
Thanks Alan. I use either Orbitron or InstantTrack. I had always wondered what the range circles over Russia were. Does NASA have an official write up on the 'net. Do we know the object numbers for the TDRS birds? My keps suggest there are 9 TDRS birds up there.
Alan Sieg WB5RMG wrote:
There are several different views you may see, but the main thing that we "see" is the background map. Several "free" programs now utilize the map made from composite satellite images that looks natural and cloud-free. A good example someone pointed out is the default image in Orbitron.
What sets the NASA maps apart is that they also usually show the coverage area of the three primary TDRS relay satellites, and marks on the future ground tracks to indicate orbital sunrise and sunsets. As the shuttle (or ISS) moves about the orbit, those coverage circles help visualize the "TDRSS handovers" where communications will drop out for a minute or a few. You may also notice on the ISS map view, the range circles about the Russian ground stations. During de-orbit and re-entry the background goes black and you'll see blue range circles about the various US radar tracking sites. During Joint-Ops with both Shuttle and ISS, they show Lat/Lon/Alt stats in the upper corners of the display. Lots of things they can turn on/off.
The other display (my personal favorite) provides a multi-view in 3D space. I've heard it refered to as 'Birds Eye View' or BEV. I've seen similar applications running on SGI computers, with a 3 pane window... the top one a side view parallel to the velocity vector, with gravity down. The lower panes showing 1) a view from above sighting down along gravity, and 2) a view from slightly above looking forward along the velocity vector. These views are fed by live telemetry data that will include the vehicles orientation respective to those vectors. I really like watching those during orientation adjustments. If you can watch before docking, you can see how the ISS is rotated around to place the docking port 'in back' so that the Shuttle's TPS is better protcted from any orbital debris. If you see this display before re-entry you can see how they turn tail-forward in preparation for the de-orbit burn... I really enjoy watching this stuff.
Still tho, it is hard to beat the 3D view in InstantTrack, especially on one of those Molniya orbits like AO-13, whippin around perigee - whoosh !
Enjoy /;^)
No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.0.237 / Virus Database: 270.11.10/1994 - Release Date: 03/10/09 19:51:00
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TDRS
--- On Wed, 3/11/09, Nigel Gunn G8IFF/W8IFF nigel@ngunn.net wrote:
From: Nigel Gunn G8IFF/W8IFF nigel@ngunn.net Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: NASA predix program To: "Alan Sieg WB5RMG" wb5rmg@somenet.net Cc: amsat-bb@amsat.org Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2009, 5:08 PM Thanks Alan. I use either Orbitron or InstantTrack. I had always wondered what the range circles over Russia were. Does NASA have an official write up on the 'net. Do we know the object numbers for the TDRS birds? My keps suggest there are 9 TDRS birds up there.
Alan Sieg WB5RMG wrote:
There are several different views you may see, but the
main thing that
we "see" is the background map. Several
"free" programs now utilize the
map made from composite satellite images that looks
natural and cloud-free.
A good example someone pointed out is the default
image in Orbitron.
What sets the NASA maps apart is that they also
usually show the coverage
area of the three primary TDRS relay satellites, and
marks on the future
ground tracks to indicate orbital sunrise and sunsets.
As the shuttle
(or ISS) moves about the orbit, those coverage circles
help visualize the
"TDRSS handovers" where communications will
drop out for a minute or a few.
You may also notice on the ISS map view, the range
circles about the Russian
ground stations. During de-orbit and re-entry the
background goes black and
you'll see blue range circles about the various US
radar tracking sites.
During Joint-Ops with both Shuttle and ISS, they show
Lat/Lon/Alt stats
in the upper corners of the display. Lots of things
they can turn on/off.
The other display (my personal favorite) provides a
multi-view in 3D space.
I've heard it refered to as 'Birds Eye
View' or BEV. I've seen similar
applications running on SGI computers, with a 3 pane
window... the top one
a side view parallel to the velocity vector, with
gravity down. The lower
panes showing 1) a view from above sighting down along
gravity, and 2) a
view from slightly above looking forward along the
velocity vector. These
views are fed by live telemetry data that will include
the vehicles
orientation respective to those vectors. I really like
watching those
during orientation adjustments. If you can watch
before docking, you can
see how the ISS is rotated around to place the docking
port 'in back' so
that the Shuttle's TPS is better protcted from any
orbital debris. If you
see this display before re-entry you can see how they
turn tail-forward
in preparation for the de-orbit burn... I really enjoy
watching this stuff.
Still tho, it is hard to beat the 3D view in
InstantTrack, especially on
one of those Molniya orbits like AO-13, whippin around
perigee - whoosh !
Enjoy /;^)
No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.0.237 / Virus Database: 270.11.10/1994 -
Release Date: 03/10/09 19:51:00
-- <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Nigel A. Gunn. G8IFF W8IFF (was KC8NHF) 1865 El Camino Drive, Xenia, OH 45385-1115, USA 937 825 5032 e-mail nigel@ngunn.net www http://www.ngunn.net Member of ARRL, GQRP #11396, QRPARCI #11644, SOC #548, Flying Pig #385, Dayton ARA #2128, AMSAT-NA LM-1691, AMSAT-UK, MKARS, ALC <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
I use either Orbitron or InstantTrack. I had always wondered what the range circles over Russia were. Does NASA have an official write up on the 'net. Do we know the object numbers for the TDRS birds? My keps suggest there are 9 TDRS birds up there.
If you read enough of the WikiPedia page, you find reference to the 'Official' page... well "msp.gsfc.nasa.gov/tdrss/oview.html" is no more.. I'm looking for some links I had. Here is at least one that works, http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/gsfc/service/gallery/fact_sheets/spacesci/tdrs_hij....
And here is a link with LOTS of info about the orbiter communications systems: http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/technology/sts-newsref/sts-ovcomm.html
I'm really bummed just now over the NASA web site(s)... I used to have links to lots of stuff about TDRSS, but now with the "New & Improved" web site, they have moved/consolidated/shuffled so much, that I get a lot of dead links. Even their search results show "..page has been moved" or other errors . . .
I'll come back when I find the new ones... Here is one I found that DOES work, refering to the contract for the NEXT two TDRS being built : http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2007/dec/HQ_C07064_TDRSS_Awards.html
I can't recall off hand which TDRS number they are, but they are usually refered to by the longitude where they are parked in GEO. There are 9 total, but only 3 of them have channels dedicated full time for human space flight. I'll figure out tomorrow which ones they are, unless someone beats me to it.
The others handle Hubble, and dozens of other science data collectors. Both Shuttle and ISS use both S-band (2 GHz), and Ku band (14 GHz). I knew that these were big satellites, but I learned from one page that these new ones with the solar panels fully extended, were 60 ft across - I realized then that would be as long as my house... and with 2x 15 ft dishes, as wide as.
I discovered after I sent that last one that I didn't mention J-Track... NASA used this a lot in their on-line stuff, a lot of which has moved. I searched the main site, and found this really cool JAVA page that lets you scroll around, click satellites, etc... make it a big window, and this can provide hours of entertainment. Pick satellites from a drop down, or just click a dot... run fast-forward, show lat/log/stats, etc... http://science.nasa.gov/realtime/jtrack/3d/JTrack3D.html Pretty slick I'd say. Neat - I just found AO-40 ..!..
OK, more than enough for now ... 73 and good night. Looks like it may be a few more days before Discovery gets off. Shucks... Looks like I may be workin some this weekend.
Thanks /;^)
What sets the NASA maps apart is that they also usually show the coverage area of the three primary TDRS relay satellites, and marks on the future ground tracks to indicate orbital sunrise and sunsets. As the shuttle (or ISS) moves about the orbit, those coverage circles help visualize the "TDRSS handovers" where communications will drop out for a minute or a few. You may also notice on the ISS map view, the range circles about the Russian ground stations. During de-orbit and re-entry the background goes black and you'll see blue range circles about the various US radar tracking sites. During Joint-Ops with both Shuttle and ISS, they show Lat/Lon/Alt stats in the upper corners of the display. Lots of things they can turn on/off.
My recollection (circa 1997 or so) was that the old DOS based STS-Orbitsplus did all this - TDRSS coverage, coverage circles for tracking/ground stations, even the South Atlantic Anomaly zone.
But I'm not sure how friendly our newer OS's are toward this intensely graphical DOS app. I ran it on a 100mhz 486 with dos5. Also ran Instantrack, and I know it runs fine in a command window. But STSorbits was a little more picky with graphics, as I remember.
Rich, N8UX
participants (4)
-
Alan Sieg WB5RMG -
Jim Jerzycke -
Nigel Gunn G8IFF/W8IFF -
Rich Dailey (gmail)