NASA's International Space Station mission managers approved Friday a plan to photograph space shuttle Endeavour while it is still docked to the space station from the perspective of a departing Russian spacecraft.
Previously, this type of photo opportunity has been called a Soyuz "flyabout" or "flyaround." Now, according to flight director Courtenay McMillan...
What we've been kind of calling it as a team is the 'undock with imagery.'
For the most part it looks exactly like a normal undock except that the attitude is little bit tweaked up to assist with the manual piloting so he doesn't get the sun in his eyes.
328KF Member
Posts: 1234 From: Registered: Apr 2008
posted 05-20-2011 04:10 PM
The animation looks like it's going to be really nice for photos!
Fezman92 Member
Posts: 1031 From: New Jersey, USA Registered: Mar 2010
posted 05-20-2011 04:25 PM
I am going to print out one of these photos to frame on my wall. Does this mean they aren't going to do it for 135?
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 05-20-2011 04:48 PM
quote:Originally posted by Fezman92: Does this mean they aren't going to do it for 135?
No, not yet, per ISS mission management team chair Kenneth Todd.
"At this point, we still have it in our requirements set as under consideration for the ULF-7 flight, the STS-135 flight. If we do get imagery off this flight, we'll certainly go back and look at whether or not that requirement still makes sense for that particular flight."
"There will certainly be an additional degree of difficulty given that if we did it during the 135 flight, we'd have to go through the re-docking exercise and again that brings a little more complexity to it that we would have to go work."
"So this is clearly a better option for us and we'll see what the outcome looks like when we get the pictures back."
MrSpace86 Member
Posts: 1618 From: Gardner, KS, USA Registered: Feb 2003
posted 05-21-2011 10:23 PM
So does this mean the whole "family" will be there? A Soyuz will be taking the photo, but will there be another Soyuz attached? A Progress? The ATV is there but is the Japanese ATV also there?
I can't wait!
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 05-22-2011 01:31 AM
JAXA's HTV-2 undocked and reentered in March.
There will be one Soyuz (TMA-21), one Progress (M-10M) and ESA's ATV-2 "Johannes Kepler."
Fezman92 Member
Posts: 1031 From: New Jersey, USA Registered: Mar 2010
posted 05-22-2011 06:13 PM
How long after undocking tomorrow night will they do the photos?
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 05-22-2011 06:28 PM
Undocking is scheduled for 4:35 p.m. CDT (2135 GMT).
Imagery acquisition begins at a distance of 180 to 200 meters from Rassvet at 4:50 p.m. CDT (2150 GMT) and ISS begins to maneuver 130 degrees the present Endeavour and the ISS elements five minutes later.
Imagery acquisition will end at 5:15 p.m. CDT (2215 GMT) with a 20 second Soyuz separation burn.
328KF Member
Posts: 1234 From: Registered: Apr 2008
posted 05-25-2011 01:00 PM
So where are the photos? Images from the landing have already been posted so I dont understand what the holdup is.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 05-25-2011 01:10 PM
Originally the plan was for Paolo Nespoli to remove the camera cards with him when he left the Soyuz and hand them off to a NASA representative to be copied at the landing site and then brought back to Moscow to be uploaded to NASA's servers.
Station flight director Derek Hassman told reporters today that the cards instead remained inside the Soyuz, and are currently en route with the spacecraft back to Moscow. They will be retrieved in the same course as other cargo and then be processed.
As such, the images and video are not expected to be released until next week.
328KF Member
Posts: 1234 From: Registered: Apr 2008
posted 05-25-2011 03:38 PM
Wow. Quite the PR fail if you ask me. Seems like a pretty simple thing to for somebody on site to remember to retrieve after all the negotiating and public interest surrounding this.
MrSpace86 Member
Posts: 1618 From: Gardner, KS, USA Registered: Feb 2003
posted 05-25-2011 03:41 PM
The release may coincide with the landing of the Shuttle, so it may turn out to be a good PR move
Blackarrow Member
Posts: 3120 From: Belfast, United Kingdom Registered: Feb 2002
posted 05-25-2011 06:03 PM
quote:Originally posted by 328KF: Wow. Quite the PR fail if you ask me.
A bit like forgetting to photograph the first man on the Moon....? These things happen.
328KF Member
Posts: 1234 From: Registered: Apr 2008
posted 05-25-2011 07:39 PM
Different times, different technology, and different expectations on the part of the press and the public. I can today take a photo, download it, and email or post it online within minutes.
NASA has had it's share of issues connecting with the public and dropping the ball on what could be inspirational events. The fickle news media will spend valuable air time covering the negative news (tool bags floating away, a wayward astronaut committing a crime, etc.). All it would take is for some enterprising young reporter to sell the story to the editor about how the most iconic space photos in recent memory were forgotten and are now on a train to Moscow.
Going through all of the trouble to plan these procedures out, convince the Russians to depart from their normal undocking routine, and set the anticipation to the media, then leave the cards behind is inexcusable. The last, most important detail was left without attention.
Of course, years from now when the photos are taken for granted we will not remember the delay, but in today's world of digital photography, instant worldwide communication, and 24-hour news, this is slightly more significant than "these things happen."
ilbasso Member
Posts: 1522 From: Greensboro, NC USA Registered: Feb 2006
posted 05-26-2011 10:04 AM
I'm sure it's just my uneducated and uninformed opinion, but it looked to me like Nespoli was not feeling very good as they extracted him from the Soyuz. If he was in any kind of medical distress or discomfort, he of course needed to worry about his own well-being first.
Blackarrow Member
Posts: 3120 From: Belfast, United Kingdom Registered: Feb 2002
posted 05-26-2011 11:41 AM
quote:Originally posted by 328KF: Different times, different technology, and different expectations on the part of the press and the public.
You seem to have missed the irony in my comment. It's not about different technology, it's about human oversight: that happens today as it did 40+ years ago. At least 2011's oversight only delays the photos.
328KF Member
Posts: 1234 From: Registered: Apr 2008
posted 05-26-2011 03:43 PM
No, no, I get the irony
I also agree that Nespoli appeared to have more difficulty than the others after landing. I think the cameraman took some effort to keep him out of view as much as possible. But I thought the plan was to have had the cards removed prior to de-orbit so I assumed he would have had them on his person as he exited.
If the plan was to have them stowed someplace and have a recovery team member retrieve them, then his condition would have no bearing on the execution of that plan.
Having said that, Soyuz recoveries seem alot more chaotic than your average shuttle post-landing. There are many more people and alot of clamoring around the crew. Everyone there apparently thought someone else had accomplished the task of collecting the photos.
Anyway, we'll see them next week. Looking forward to it and I hope the news media picks them up and gives the program some good coverage.
Jay Chladek Member
Posts: 2272 From: Bellevue, NE, USA Registered: Aug 2007
posted 05-26-2011 10:20 PM
Soyuz recoveries are pretty chaotic. You have three guys shoehorned inside something equivalent to the front seat of a Volkswagen having just come back to Earth. If they land upright it can be one thing, but if the capsule falls sideways then things get more interesting if the crew are hanging in the capsule sideways. At least in Apollo, there was a side hatch to come out of, but for Soyuz, they have to get out through the top as that is the ONLY hatch in the descent module.
Fezman92 Member
Posts: 1031 From: New Jersey, USA Registered: Mar 2010
posted 05-26-2011 10:56 PM
Makes it even more fun. Can't wait to see the pics.
ejectr Member
Posts: 1751 From: Killingly, CT Registered: Mar 2002
posted 05-27-2011 05:51 AM
Does it really matter whether we got to see the photos yesterday or will see them in a couple weeks? We'll get to see them.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 05-27-2011 12:53 PM
Until the undock imagery becomes available, this photo, taken today by Greg Chamitoff from atop ELC-3, should help tide the time...
MrSpace86 Member
Posts: 1618 From: Gardner, KS, USA Registered: Feb 2003
posted 05-27-2011 01:54 PM
That is a truly beautiful photo!!
GACspaceguy Member
Posts: 2475 From: Guyton, GA Registered: Jan 2006
posted 05-27-2011 02:02 PM
I know we all talk about not having a US launch vehicle after the shuttle but there sure is a lot of manned hardware on orbit that says “Designed and Made in the USA”. What a great photo!
tegwilym Member
Posts: 2331 From: Sturgeon Bay, WI Registered: Jan 2000
posted 05-27-2011 05:42 PM
Great photo! Impressive pile of hardware we have up there. I'll miss that one on the far left though.
Can't wait to see the full station photos!
Jay Chladek Member
Posts: 2272 From: Bellevue, NE, USA Registered: Aug 2007
posted 06-01-2011 02:32 AM
quote:Originally posted by GACspaceguy: I know we all talk about not having a US launch vehicle after the shuttle but there sure is a lot of manned hardware on orbit that says “Designed and Made in the USA”. What a great photo!
"Russian Components, American Components... All MADE IN TAIWAN!" (quote from Armageddon)
There's a lot of American hardware indeed, as well as a lot of other stuff. I've seen shuttles up close so I know how big they are, but seeing it docked to the station like that makes it actually seem rather small while the other modules are just tiny!
328KF Member
Posts: 1234 From: Registered: Apr 2008
posted 06-01-2011 10:15 AM
Jeez, ten days after landing and we still haven't seen the photos! I sure hope that NASA PR is planning to roll these out with some fanfare... a press conference or something so they are still relevant in the eyes of the media.
Chamitoff did take some amazing photos during STS-134. Here is a great time exposure shot of Endeavour docked with a sky full of stars.
And he used the same technique to photograph the station complex in this shot. These are some of the best photos I've ever seen taken in space.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-01-2011 10:24 AM
NASA has advised the media that the photos will not be available before June 6, if not later.
328KF Member
Posts: 1234 From: Registered: Apr 2008
posted 06-01-2011 12:17 PM
Super. We can put put a man on the moon, but...
ilbasso Member
Posts: 1522 From: Greensboro, NC USA Registered: Feb 2006
posted 06-01-2011 01:48 PM
Can't even put a man on the Moon anymore!
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-01-2011 01:48 PM
Although I agree this could have been better handled, I wouldn't assume that NASA is the one (or only one) at fault in this situation.
NASA public affairs is well aware of the desire to get these images released sooner than later, if only be the daily requests made by the press.
tegwilym Member
Posts: 2331 From: Sturgeon Bay, WI Registered: Jan 2000
posted 06-01-2011 04:23 PM
They are probably still uploading them from the Russian side of the internet. I bet my cable modem connection is faster!
tegwilym Member
Posts: 2331 From: Sturgeon Bay, WI Registered: Jan 2000
posted 06-06-2011 11:10 PM
Anyone have any updates on when these photos will be released?
heng44 Member
Posts: 3387 From: Netherlands Registered: Nov 2001
posted 06-07-2011 04:25 AM
This is taking ridiculously long!
LM-12 Member
Posts: 3208 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 06-07-2011 08:54 AM
Because the HSF search gallery photos are very disorganized and posted out-of-sequence, the STS-134 Soyuz undock photos may already be buried in there somewhere and nobody would know it!
Fezman92 Member
Posts: 1031 From: New Jersey, USA Registered: Mar 2010
posted 06-07-2011 09:37 AM
I just got done checking. The images aren't in the 134 album. It's not that disorganized. They have some of the post flight stuff mixed with the with mission photos and some stuff like that, but overall, it's fairly organized.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 3208 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 06-07-2011 09:42 AM
Try searching for an earlier flight, for example STS-120, and you will see what I mean. My complaint was about the search feature.
tegwilym Member
Posts: 2331 From: Sturgeon Bay, WI Registered: Jan 2000
posted 06-07-2011 01:15 PM
I'm sure that as soon as they are released, they will be all over the internet.
First the Russians refuse over and over to take the photos, then they take them, and don't let them out!
Space shuttle geeks are going to start throwing chairs soon.
ilbasso Member
Posts: 1522 From: Greensboro, NC USA Registered: Feb 2006
posted 06-07-2011 01:28 PM
They're up now! Look on the last page of the ISS imagery for the mission.
Fezman92 Member
Posts: 1031 From: New Jersey, USA Registered: Mar 2010
posted 06-07-2011 01:37 PM
Oh wow. They are amazing. I love the one of the ISS rotating. It gives you a great view of the Endeavour's underbelly.... There are more up here for some reason. I guess that's because some of them look the same.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 05-20-2011 03:49 PM
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