Re: [amsat-bb] Mystery effect

[Bruce Bostwick <lihan161051@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>----- Original Message -----
>From: "ne1h" <ne1h@highrf.com>
>To: <amsat-bb@AMSAT.Org>
>Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2001 10:21 PM
>Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Mystery effect
>
>
>
>>  If we only had a "fly by" camera..... If, if if... :)
>>
>>  Alan
>>
>
>Well this may seem like a Silly question, but couldnt one of the hams on an
>ISS plot the course from space and attempt to
>video the sat with a modern Zoom digital camera it could be possible
>couldn't it?

Only at perigee, and then all they would get would be a bright streak 
in one or two frames of the video, if AO-40's orbit came anywhere 
near that of the ISS.  AO-40 is going so much faster at perigee than 
a satellite in circular orbit at that altitude that you would 
literally miss it if you blinked at the wrong moment.

Bear in mind, too, that an object the size and mass of AO-40 would 
have almost as much kinetic energy as its weight in high explosive if 
it actually hit the station, so my guess is that NASA would be very 
skittish about allowing a pass close enough to see any detail even 
with an ultrahigh speed camera ..

-- 
<BGB>
                  --... ...--  -.. .  -. ..... ...- -...
              Bruce Bostwick  N5VB  Austin, TX  Grid EM10DH
     ARRL / Austin ARC / Travis Co. ARES / ARRL + W5YI Vol. Examiner
                    mailto:lihan161051@earthlink.net
   
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