Stargazers can now track space station

Stargazers can now track space station

By Lim Tri Santosa

BANDUNG (JP): There is definitely a lot of satisfaction
involved in predicting where and when a satellite will appear and
then to actually observe it. Very soon you ask yourself whether
you can do more with these satellites than just looking at them.
The answer is yes and it is twofold.

A new website (http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/) developed at
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, is
making it easy and exciting for enthusiasts across the country
and around the world to catch a glimpse of the orbiting facility.
The "Where is the International Space Station?" site lets users
identify the orbiting space station and determine in advance when
it will pass over their hometowns.

The site relies on a sophisticated, Java-based program called
J-Pass, developed by Patrick Meyer, a data systems engineer at
the Marshall Center.

J-Pass displays user-friendly tracking information provided by
the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). It permits
site visitors to track not only the International Space Station
but also the Russian station Mir, space shuttle missions and the
Hubble Space Telescope, including real time orbital positioning
data of the Indonesian Palapa satellite.

The International Space Station is a cooperative endeavor by
the United States and 15 other nations. It is the largest
international space construction effort in history. Orbiting at
more than 200 miles above the Earth, the space station is quickly
growing into one of the brightest permanent fixtures in the night
sky. Currently consisting of the American connecting module
"Unity" and the Russian control module "Zarya", the station
circles the planet approximately 16 times per day, traveling at
17,500 mph (around 8 km per second) in an orbit varying from 208
to 285 miles from Earth.

Because it reflects sunlight, the space station often looks
like a slow-moving star as it crosses the sky. That deceptive
appearance can fool a casual viewer but it also makes sighting
the station easier if one knows when and where to look. The best
time to catch a glimpse of the space station is near dawn or
dusk, when the viewer is in near-darkness and the passing station
continues to reflect light from the rising or setting Sun.

NASA's websites provide users with optimal visibility times
for their locations. When construction is complete, estimates
suggest that the 470-ton "city in space" will be brighter than
the planet Venus. Access to NASA websites requires a Java-enabled
browser, such as recent versions of Netscape Navigator or
Microsoft Internet Explorer. For viewers without a Java-enabled
browser, the websites include other methods for obtaining
sighting information. Johnson's Skywatch site contains a text-
only list of sighting opportunities, while Marshall's site
features an automated mailing list option. Subscribers to the
list are notified by e-mail of upcoming satellite passes.

Simply log onto the Internet and the computer will tell you
when the station will pass over your home. It will be easy to use
for everyone. Once you find the location of the station, your
adventure will begin and you'll probably be surprised by what you
see. The Internet sites below provide predictions of where and
when to look for the space station.

Meyer said: "The space station is fairly bright right now.
It's almost as bright as Polaris, the North Star." And as more
pieces are added to the station, particularly the massive solar
panels, it will become even brighter.

The International Space Station will provide an orbital
laboratory for long-term research, where one of the fundamental
forces of nature, i.e. gravity, is greatly reduced. In addition,
world class research in biology, chemistry, physics, ecology and
medicine can be conducted using the most modern tools available.
Commercialization of space research will allow industries to
explore new products and services. Finally, the result of such
innovation will create new jobs here on Earth and in space.

While some experiments will take place inside the space
station, others will take place externally. These experiments
will help reveal the effects of long-term exposure to the
external space environment. Earth observations will allow
researchers to study changes to our environment whether they are
natural or by human causes.

One thing: Don't expect to view the station for a long time.
Meyer said: "The longest the station will be over your home will
be about 10 minutes, also don't expect to make out the station's
shape; all you will see is a bright, darting object." But getting
a quick glimpse of the largest multination engineering project
ever undertaken will be worth it. You'll see space history in the
making.

Want to have a nighttime look at the orbiting International
Space Station, where astronauts and Russian cosmonauts will live
and work during the next few years? It lets you identify the
orbiting space station and determine, in advance, when it will
pass over your hometown. For more information on tracking the
station, go to Marshall's "Liftoff to Space Exploration" website,
http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/, Johnson's "Skywatch" website,
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/ and
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/tracking/