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Author
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Topic: STS-44: Atlantis and the Turkish satellite
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Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 45104
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 11-24-2020 09:36 AM
   
On Nov. 28, 1991, the flight dynamics officer in Mission Control informed flight director Milt Heflin that the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, which tracked orbital traffic, had called to warn that a dormant Turkish satellite had a potential conjunction with the space shuttle Atlantis in only 15 minutes. Moreover, this potential debris strike was due to occur in the middle of a communications blackout with the crew, as the spacecraft passed over the southern tip of Africa.There was no way for Heflin's engineers to calculate an avoidance maneuver, wake the crew, and communicate with them before the blackout period began. Heflin was livid—why had the Air Force not given more warning about a potential collision? Typically, they provided about 24 hours' notice. By God, if that satellite hit Atlantis, they could very well lose the astronauts as they slept. The crew of STS-44 might never awaken. A rarely-told tale of a Thanksgiving Day prank that almost reached too far. |
sev8n
Member Posts: 254
From: Dallas TX USA
Registered: Jul 2012
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posted 11-26-2020 01:23 PM
Ars Technica is one of my favorite sites for science and tech coverage. Their staff are also avid space fans, see their "Rocket Report." Recommended. | |
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