[okchorale] SHuttle Launch visible from Boston

[Paul Ciszek <pciszek@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

 By David L. Chandler, Globe Staff, 2/7/2001

 Tonight's launch of the space shuttle Atlantis on a mission to the
 International Space Station is a rare opportunity for viewers in the
 Boston area to see a shuttle launch.

 Two requirements have to be met for a shuttle to be visible from Boston
 during its ascent to orbit. It must be on a ''high-inclination'' orbit so
 that it follows the line of the East Coast, which is usually the case only
 on missions to the space station - of which there will be more and more
 over the next two years. Second, it must be launched when the sky is dark
 enough to see the shuttle's flaming exhaust clearly. The launch at 6:11
 p.m. meets both criteria.

 The shuttle takes about six minutes to get from Cape Canaveral to a point
 off New England's shores, and its launch could be up to five minutes late.
 (This mission, because it must rendezvous with the space station, has a
 narrow five-minute launch window). To watch it, find a place with a clear
 horizon toward the East, and watch for a bright speck of light moving
 northward almost horizontally not far above the horizon. It will resemble
 the light of a high-flying airplane. Seen through binoculars, it may be
 possible to see the glow of the shuttle's three engines, and perhaps even
 the moment when the engines shut down as the shuttle reaches orbit.

 Just minutes before, you can see the shuttle's destination: the
 International Space Station can be seen streaking across the sky for about
 three minutes, starting at 6:05. It will look like a very bright star
 moving steadily along roughly the same track the shuttle will follow.

 This story ran on page A3 of the Boston Globe on 2/7/2001.

 Copyright 2001 Globe Newspaper Company.

-- 
Paul Ciszek
pciszek@world.std.com