ISS Gets Wings

hiroko writes "BBC has an article here. $600m worth of solar array now in place, but not without hitch - One wing is less taut than it should be because of problems encountered during the roll out of the structure." Supposedly we should be able to see it from the ground now, and I thought I had a URL for an ephemeris but I can't find it. Anyone?

Re:MD2

[DaveHowe]

The above is a link to the goatse.cx site - angelfire have been notified.
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Re:Rubbish back to Earth

[AstroJetson]

Too expensive. You'd need a sizable lifter to get that much trash up to escape velocity. Then of course you'd have the problem of getting the lifter into the ISS's orbit in the first place. However, I don't see why they don't just let it burn up in re-entry. Has to be at least as good as putting it in a landfill, no?

Track the ISS...

[cmilkosky]

This link allows you to track the ISS from your location and I guess if you have the right equipment and weather conditions, you should be able to see it on the dates that it recommends.

SkyWatch Home Page [nasa.gov]

Start up the Applet and you can find it.

Chris

Open DNS Technologies [opendnstech.com]

Re:Rubbish back to Earth

[kasow]

The Russians do incinerate trash in re-entry. They use robotic 'Progress' spacecraft to deliver supplies to Mir and the ISS, the Progress is filled with trash, undocks, and fires its engines to reenter and burn up. There was a Progress docked to ISS until a day or so before Endeavour docked- the Progress is currently in a holding orbit, and will return to ISS again after the shuttle leaves. They apparently want to test some software fixes in its automatic docking system, and will probably use it for additional trash haulage as well.

ISS gets Wings???

[DaBB]

does that mean it'll be able to swim and rollerblade any time of the month?

ISS Orbital Elements (TLE)

[monopole]

The TLE (Two Line Element) for the ISS is:

ISS (ZARYA)

1 25544U 98067A 00341.21245003 .00072247 00000-0 74580-3 0 3516

2 25544 51.5761 345.8697 0004856 209.0218 200.2223 15.64105677116881

Using any standard orbit tracking program such as pocketsat for the
palm and this TLE it is possible to determine the location of the ISS and
the associated Right Ascension and Declination

ISS/Shuttle Orbital tracking

[sohp]

The NASA Human Spaceflight Orbital Tracking [nasa.gov] will show you the current position, while the Skywatch Page will calculate sightings and passes based on your location. [nasa.gov]

Rubbish back to Earth

[Chacham]

But the meeting will be short. Rubbish from the platform must be transferred to the orbiter for return to Earth.

Rubbis returned to Earth? Why don't they just shoot it towards the sun or something?

Not that simple

[bcrowell]

Unfortunately it's not that simple. They're doing burns now about once a month, and even when they're not intentionally changing its orbit, it's always gradually decaying due to atmospheric friction. See this page [nasa.gov] for a graph of some of its orbital parameters over time.

Locating ISS etc

[billybob2001]

http://www.heavens-above.com [heavens-above.com] will locate the ISS and other objects for you relative to where you are (within reason) for various dates/times.

already visible from France

[Jean-Yves]

It's already visible in France right now. I have already seen it two times, and when it's december, it will become even more luminoux. You must look for it in the morning, quite near to the planet venus.

DON'T follow that link. NOT worth seeing.

[Squiffy]

The link above takes you to a hideous picture some guy took of his own painfully distended anus. Wait until *after* dinner before viewing this.

Re:already visible from France

[Anonymous Coward]

You Frenchies spend all your time looking at Uranus! Nice ring!