Monday, 17 December 2018

NROL-71: an enigmatic launch [UPDATED]

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(this post on NROL-71 is belated, as I was in hospital around the original launch date. Luckily, launch got postponed) click map to e...
5 comments:
Saturday, 17 November 2018

Modelling the expected orbital lifespan of Orbital Reflector [UPDATED]

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Update added 18 Nov 2018, 13:15 UT: The launch of SSO-A with Orbital Reflector has been postponed, untill after Thanksgiving. Update adde...
3 comments:
Tuesday, 9 October 2018

Falcon 9 reentry burn from SAOCOM 1A launch observed from Europe

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image (c) Koen Miskotte. Used with permission click image to enlarge On 8 October 2018 (7 October local time) at 2:21 UT, SpaceX launc...
6 comments:
Thursday, 27 September 2018

More images of Kounotori (HTV) 7

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click image to enlarge The image above is a stack (combination) of six images, taken at 10-second intervals with a 5-second exposure (...
Wednesday, 26 September 2018

Imaging a pass of Kounotori (HTV) 7 on it's way to the ISS

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click to enlarge On 22 September 2018 (and after several launch delays, amongst others due to a typhoon), at 17:52:27 UT, Japan's S...
Tuesday, 4 September 2018

Capturing a flaring NOSS duo (NOSS 3-6)

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click to enlarge On 30 August 2018 near 20:59 UT I was imaging the NOSS 3-6 duo (2012-048A & 2012-048P) during a near-zenith pass,...
Wednesday, 29 August 2018

The X-37B OTV 5 is manoeuvering to a higher orbit

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click to enlarge The image above shows the classified robottic X-37B space-plane OTV 5 of the US Air Force, a kind of unmanned mini Sp...
Wednesday, 4 July 2018

OT: the bright fireball of 29 June 2018, 21:30:14 UT

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image (c) Felix Bettonvil, Utrecht. Click to enlarge Barely two weeks after an earlier brilliant twilight fireball discussed in a previ...
Tuesday, 26 June 2018

Capturing a pass of the X-37B OTV-5, and imaging an ISS transit over the Sun

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click to enlarge Yesterday evening was very clear, and the moon low in the south no real hindrance. I observed a very fine pass of the ...
Thursday, 21 June 2018

OT: The brilliant "Pinkpop" fireball of 16 June 2018 (UPDATED)

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In early evening twilight of 16 June 2018 , around 21:11 UT (23:11 local time), a brilliant fireball at least as bright as the full m...