Just how many space stations are there ?

Originally posted by zorgon
Don't forget the private space stations like Bigelows

I am tracking two modules right now on my website...

I actually provided some tracking data for orbit determination on one of the Bigelow modules as a favor for a friend who works at JPL.

Originally posted by ngchunter
I actually provided some tracking data for orbit determination on one of the Bigelow modules as a favor for a friend who works at JPL.

I actually had his grand kids sitting in my Thrones

You can track them here... refreshes every 60 seconds and shows Hubble and ISS as well

Also found out tonight that the NAVY has TWO space stations out there Can't wait to get more details on that one

[edit on 17-9-2009 by zorgon]

Originally posted by zorgon
I actually had his grand kids sitting in my Thrones

You can track them here... refreshes every 60 seconds and shows Hubble and ISS as well

Also found out tonight that the NAVY has TWO space stations out there

Can't wait to get more details on that one

I'm not sure I want to know what you mean by thrones, anyway. I was tracking Bigelow as in getting actual new data using optical tracking so that new orbit predictions could be generated (for a side project, not for official publication to my knowledge). Maybe I'm confused about how your page is working under the hood, but web applets showing hubble, ISS, etc operate off of those data; they're showing the predicted location based on the orbital elements that are pre-determined by other tracking methods. Or are you saying that you're using one of those tracking methods instead of the published orbital elements?

[edit on 17-9-2009 by ngchunter]

Originally posted by ngchunter
I'm not sure I want to know what you mean by thrones, anyway.

Thrones... chairs that Kings sit in... common English term

Why is JPL interested in tracking Roberts satellites without public knowledge?



[edit on 17-9-2009 by zorgon]

Originally posted by zorgon
Thrones... chairs that Kings sit in... common English term

"Throne" can also be a slang word for a toilet, I didn't realize you had literal thrones in your place, that's cool.

Why is JPL interested in tracking Roberts satellites without public knowledge?

It wasn't an official JPL project (I'm not even sure if it was presented to JPL or some other institution, I just know the friend who contacted me about it works there so it might have been), and NORAD would normally do all the tracking of all satellites for the US government, Robert's included. This was a side project that I think had something to do with evaluating the ability of "off-the-shelf" equipment to do satellite orbit determination (similar to this: www.castor2.ca...). His friend was in charge of this project and my friend was helping. For whatever reason, he needed some data to by the next morning, so I had to get it for him to be able to pass it along that night. It was the first time I had tracked a Bigelow module, and though it was just a point of light in the telescope, I was impressed with how relatively bright it was.

[edit on 17-9-2009 by ngchunter]

U.S. dominance of the heavens is a top Pentagon priority for this 21st. century. R & R programs are ongoing to ensure that America can never be challenged in orbit & anti-satellite electric lasers have been developed. These go well beyond defensive weapons.

Space superiority is a stated US military mandate. All the future use of space by the military is to achieve "space control"...& deny the use of space to others who are not "on side", as US Space partners. All astronauts in Canada, for instance, just like the US...must be members of the military to fly in a shuttle.

The U.S. must maintain space dominance through unmanned & manned "space platforms" & space capabilities that are secret. Canada is in the game due to its specializing in Robotics. Take the Canada Arms on the shuttles & ISS as examples of Canadian expertise. NORAD & its Space Command is a shared US/Canada military base, with Canada giving the OK to the NORAD "Northern Command" to enter (invade) Canada for matters of National Security. After all, there are 2 giant countries in North Amerca. Most secret weapons the Pentagon needs testing, are done over the wide open Canadian North.

With China going to the Moon to build a military base, what choice does the U.S. have other than to deploy weapons in space before (communist) China can get going. We have now all heard that NASA is scraping plans to go to the moon, & then from there to Mars & establish a "Base Camp". So the military have got the space dominance goal on 'black budgets' already.

Originally posted by secretnasaman
All astronauts in Canada, for instance, just like the US...must be members of the military to fly in a shuttle.

I believe you are mistaken. The current president of the CSA, Steve MacLean, has no military background as far as I can tell. Yet he was on STS-52 and STS-115. There are a number of other Canadian astronauts who have no military background. Two US astronauts on the up coming STS-129 also have no military background either. There have been many non-military astronauts on the Shuttle. It's always been a mix.

Where did you get the impression everyone had to be members of the military to fly in a Shuttle?

reply to post by secretnasaman


Thanks for stopping by Secretnasaman,

I always like to read your take on things.

I saw those new videos you put up too.

You're Good.