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EVA-2 (spacewalk) & ISS_S1 radiator-damage Image 2009/03/21(UT)

Ralf Vandebergh
R.Vandebergh

Ralf Vandebergh(250mm Newton)
subject: 2009/03/21_EVA-2 (spacewalk) observations

During a pass of the ISS with spaceshuttle Discovery STS-119  on March 21, 
a 77 degrees North  maximum pass, there was a spacewalk going on at the port side of
the station,exactly at the P3 truss.(EVA-2)They were installing the unpressurized cargo carrier 
attachment system (UCASS). 

Note that is was the luck that the spacewalkers were both at the P3 truss.
This truss is a very open structure,you can watch through it,and it appears normally reasonable 
dark in images against the dark sky.This increases the chance to see one of the astronauts,
as they can be located in front and behind it and still be visible.

I compared the size of the spot which popped up in the best frames with known dimensions of part 
of the solar arrays visible in the image.From live-images from the ISS I approximately know how the 
size of a spacewalker compares to these parts.I then concluded,the dimensions of the spot are right.
Note that the full width of the truss isn't visible in this image,due to the particular lighting-angle.

Imaging: 10inch newtonian/ATIK instuments-ATK-2C /manuelly tracked)


 subject: 2009/03/21_EVA-2 (spacewalk) observations

  During a pass of the ISS with spaceshuttle Discovery STS-119  on March 21, 
  a 77 degrees North  maximum pass, there was a spacewalk going on at the port side of
  the station,exactly at the P3 truss.(EVA-2)They were installing the unpressurized cargo carrier 
  attachment system (UCASS). 

  Note that is was the luck that the spacewalkers were both at the P3 truss.
  This truss is a very open structure,you can watch through it,and it appears normally reasonable 
  dark in images against the dark sky.This increases the chance to see one of the astronauts,
  as they can be located in front and behind it and still be visible.

  I compared the size of the spot which popped up in the best frames with known dimensions of part 
  of the solar arrays visible in the image.From live-images from the ISS I approximately know how the 
  size of a spacewalker compares to these parts.I then concluded,the dimensions of the spot are right.
  Note that the full width of the truss isn't visible in this image,due to the particular lighting-angle.

  Imaging: 10inch newtonian/ATIK instuments-ATK-2C /manuelly tracked)


subject: 2009/03/21_EVA-2 (spacewalk) observations
    ______________________________________________

    During a pass of the ISS with spaceshuttle Discovery STS-119  on March 21, 
    a 77 degrees North  maximum pass, there was a spacewalk going on at the port side of
    the station,exactly at the P3 truss.(EVA-2)They were installing the unpressurized cargo carrier 
    attachment system (UCASS). 

    Note that is was the luck that the spacewalkers were both at the P3 truss.
    This truss is a very open structure,you can watch through it,and it appears normally reasonable 
    dark in images against the dark sky.This increases the chance to see one of the astronauts,
    as they can be located in front and behind it and still be visible.

    I compared the size of the spot which popped up in the best frames with known dimensions of part 
    of the solar arrays visible in the image.From live-images from the ISS I approximately know how the 
    size of a spacewalker compares to these parts.I then concluded,the dimensions of the spot are right.
    Note that the full width of the truss isn't visible in this image,due to the particular lighting-angle.

[バンディバ:オランダ]
[Ralf Vandebergh:Neighbourhood of Maastricht Netherlands]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
subject: 2009/03/20  observations of  ISS_S1 radiator-damage

During a max 72 degree Southern pass of the ISS on March 20,observing and lighting angle 
seemed optimal to observe the damage on one of the S1 radiators.Although I managed
to capture already better and sharper images of the radiators during more optimal passes,
the damage was often hidden behind shade.This particular observations succeeded well.



Here is the final version of this observation in higher quality,as used in the APOD of April 10.
 During a pass of the ISS with spaceshuttle Discovery STS-119  on March 21, 
  a 77 degrees North  maximum pass, there was a spacewalk going on at the port side of
  the station,exactly at the P3 truss.(EVA-2)They were installing the unpressurized cargo carrier 
  attachment system (UCASS). 

  Note that is was the luck that the spacewalkers were both at the P3 truss.
  This truss is a very open structure,you can watch through it,and it appears normally reasonable 
  dark in images against the dark sky.This increases the chance to see one of the astronauts,
  as they can be located in front and behind it and still be visible.

  I compared the size of the spot which popped up in the best frames with known dimensions of part 
  of the solar arrays visible in the image.From live-images from the ISS I approximately know how the 
  size of a spacewalker compares to these parts.I then concluded,the dimensions of the spot are right.
  Note that the full width of the truss isn't visible in this image,due to the particular lighting-angle.

  Imaging: 10inch newtonian/ATIK instuments-ATK-2C /manuelly tracked)


2009/03/21_EVA-2 (spacewalk) observations
   further image-analyses
 This is a comparison of the structures visible on the location of the ISS were on March 21 astronauts
 were working outside the station to install equipment at the Earth-facing side(UCCAS,see below).
 Left you see clearly that the spot of the spacewalker appears strongly tilted on the normal ISS structures.
 At the right is an image taken recently(April 29)which shows only the normal structures on the location.
 This is the best evidence that we really see a clear sign of the spacewalking activities.


view from Earth -- view from space!
    _____________________________________________


    A view from Space at the same moment as I captured the situation from Earth. 
    That with only a few seconds time uncertainty!

    We see a view from the helmet-cam of spacewalker Steve Swanson.
    He sees colleague Jo Acaba working a little lower and next to him at the truss with
    the sickle of the Earth at the background. This Earthsickle is actually the departing 
    daylight which I see from the ground as the twilight in the west. The pass was reasonable 
    deep in the twilight, with the Earth shade already considerably rising into the East. (35°)
    The darkness were I'm standing in, while shooting the Earth-bound image, is the dark area 
    below right in the picture seen from Space. The astronauts are working at the Earth facing 
    side, and we see the rectangular shaped back of the white spacesuite of Acaba reflecting the 
    sunlight, which I see as the bright spot obviously tilted on the general ISS structures in the telescope-image.
    How was I'm  able to find this moment in the video recordings? Very easy: I took the point of
    sunset and the few minutes later showed groundtrack  to see were the ISS was. I then calculated
    the time back from the sunset moment,which is the same as the point the ISS departs into the Earth
    shade,as seen from the ground!

    With the addition of the last processed frame in negative, the obviously
    tilted position of the detail represending the spacewalker is even more impressive, especially for someone
    familar with the view of the station. We now see a better view on the entire P3 truss, with the 
    Solar Alpha Rotary Joint(SARJ). I think this composition must provide a great technical inside on a situation
    captured in a fraction of a second passing with a speed of 28000 km/hour!


  STS-119 spacewalker: new interesting processings
  It was March of this year when I managed to capture that spacewalk pic. Some of you may remember.
  A short summery: During the STS-119 mission to the ISS, it was during EVA-2 on March 21, with the
  spacewalkers Steve Swanson and Joe Acaba. They were at the moment of pass over Europe working
  at  the Port 3 truss. It was great luck they were working on the Earth-facing side, for the deployment
  of the nadir UCCAS (Unpressurized Cargo Carrier Attachment System) during the pass. 
  Exactly at the work-location, a light detail appeared in the frames taken in the best moments of seeing.
  Analysing carefully video recording data from the helmet cams of the spacewalkers it became clear the 
  spacewalker located mostly Earth-faced should be Joe Acaba. 
  To find out the point of pass over the observing location in the NASA-recordings, the point of
  sunset in both the recordings from the station and the observing location was a great help.

  The result shown here (attached) is accomplished from new processing of the best frames taken
  7 seconds later then the early image, see here: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090410.html

  All necessary data is on the image. With some imagination you may be able to see
  even the back of the white-suited spacewalker, see the inset. 
  Take the time to watch it carefully and enjoy!

[バンディバ:オランダ]
[Ralf Vandebergh:Neighbourhood of Maastricht Netherlands]

ALPO-Japan Latest Oplanets Section
2009/03/22 [ISS with STS-119 and new S6 solar panel]
2009/03/20 [ISS with new S6 truss and arrays]