Posted on 08/03/2014 9:08:12 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
Explanation: What's that approaching? Astronauts on board the International Space Station first saw it in early 2010 far in the distance. Soon it enlarged to become a dark silhouette. As it came even closer, the silhouette appeared to be a spaceship. Finally, the object revealed itself to be the Space Shuttle Endeavour, and it soon docked as expected with the Earth-orbiting space station. Pictured above, Endeavour was imaged near Earth's horizon as it approached, where several layers of the Earth's atmosphere were visible. Directly behind the shuttle is the mesosphere, which appears blue. The atmospheric layer that appears white is the stratosphere, while the orange layer is Earth's Troposphere. This shuttle mission, began with a dramatic night launch. Tasks completed during this shuttle's visit to the ISS included the delivery of the Tranquility Module which contained a cupola bay window complex that allows even better views of spaceships approaching and leaving the space station.
(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...
[Credit: Space Station Expedition 22 Crew, NASA]
Very nice!
Kinda spooky a little bit.
I’m so glad Obama made us give up our expensive toys.
No space shuttles until every person in Latin America has an EBT card.
Beautiful picture and thanks for posting...
A sad reminder we were once a spacefaring nation, but have given it up in favor of global warming doom and gloom and Muzzie outreach...
Sad indeed...
That’s cool … you must be smokin’ some good stuff ;-)
HAL: I know that you and Frank were planning to disconnect me, and I’m afraid that’s something I cannot allow to happen.
HAL: Look Dave, I can see you’re really upset about this. I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly, take a stress pill, and think things over.
HAL: I know I’ve made some very poor decisions recently, but I can give you my complete assurance that my work will be back to normal. I’ve still got the greatest enthusiasm and confidence in the mission. And I want to help you.
HAL: Just what do you think you’re doing, Dave?
HAL: I’m afraid. I’m afraid, Dave. Dave, my mind is going. I can feel it. I can feel it. My mind is going. There is no question about it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I can feel it.
Hearing this brings to mind the "space music" generated by radio emissions from Saturn's magnetic field, collected from the Cassini mission. (Either the 2001 composer was prescient, or someone at NASA took some artistic license ;)
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