SATCOM Transits



International Space Station | Space Gallery | SIGINT | 48 Hours Geostationary Satellites

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john@satcom.freeserve.co.uk
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All images © John Locker

Exclusive images of the International Space Station in daylight

The following videos show ISS captured in daylight.

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As the station grows in size it may , in time , become a true daytime object.Presently it can only be seen with the aid of optical magnification.

To obtain such images a careful study of the orbital elements must be made to determine the exact point in the sky ( to the nearest arc minute ) through which the station will fly .
Typically the target will pass through the field of view of the camera in less than 1/10th second

It gives the old saying

" Like trying to find a needle in a haystack "

a whole new meaning !


June 12 2008
ISS and Discovery in daylight on two consecutive orbits.



Today's exercise was to try and catch both ISS and the orbiter in daylight.....with the sun 37 degs above horizon.
At 17.06.53 BST ISS was due to pass by at 55.4 degs elevation mag -2.8 , the shuttle was due to follow at 17.07.19 according to Calsky.com ...elevation also 55.4 degs , but mag 0.2 ( 26 seconds behind )
I was confident ISS would be visible as 90 minutes earlier I had seen it mag -2.2 with the sun at 50 degs , but the shuttle was another matter. As it turned out , both appeared on time.....and it was just possible to make out Discovery .

ISS
Descending Orbit : 54779.7 Culmination 17h06m53s -2.8mag az:188.4° S h:55.4°
distance: 417.4km height above Earth: 347.8km elevation of sun: +37°

Discovery
17h07m20s 0.2mag az:188.5° S h:55.4° distance: 419.7km height above Earth: 349.6km elevation of sun: +37°



June 5 2008
ISS , Discovery , Kibo and an EVA in progress!



Almost a year on from my last daylight capture a lucky break in cloud cover gives me the chance to spot the complex during the second EVA of STS 124 .
Notice that the station is "flying" in reverse mode , with ESA's Jules Verne leading.

Orbit 54670.7 18h17m30s [GMT]
-3.9mag az:180.4° S h:61.6° distance: 393.6km height above Earth: 349.0km elevation of sun: +17°



First glimpse of new array in daylight June 29 2007



A lucky break , clear skies and our first daylight view of the newly fitted starboard array
Transit time 14.23 GMT

Orbit 49272.5
Altitude= 61.0° Distance=385 km
Mag 0.7 FOV approx 7 arc minutes.



Two in a row...ISS in daylight May 3 2007



A little less transparent than yesterday as thin high cloud moves in from the east
The station is also at a greater range and lower elevation
Camera centred on Ra 05:31:47 Dec +13:40:11 . 14:35 GMT

Orbit 48371.8
Altitude= 48.4° Distance=460.0 km
FOV approx 7 arc minutes.



ISS in daylight May 2 2007


(3rd daylight capture )
Mid afternoon here with unusually clear blue skies and stable air.
A daylight pass , 58 degrees.Mag 0.0
Camera centred on Ra 05:28:33 Dec +23:36:20 . 14:14 GMT

Orbit 48355.8
Altitude= 58.8° Distance=392.0 km
FOV approx 7 arc minutes.



ISS Daylight pass March 3 2007


The station captured mid afternoon through thin high cloud !



Click for video

ISS


0938 GMT : September 19 2006
Location ... Wirral UK

As Atlantis prepares for her last day in orbit
ISS passes close to the Moon in daylight
and we get our first glimpse of the new P3/P4 integrated truss

CalSky.com prediction
9h38m49.04s GMT ISS Close to Moon. Separation=0.382° Angular Velocity=59.4'/s Angular diameter=43.1" Satellite at Azimuth=169.8° S Altitude= 52.7°
Distance=429.4 km Magnitude=0.6mag ground speed: 7.426 km/s