ISS: Finally starting to take shape!

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dreada5

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As the shuttle's only just undocked few hours ago I haven't found any decent images yet. But the ones I've seen just look awesome. Dunno bout that rest of ya but from the shuttle cam earlier and at a distance it look like a very large, TIE fighter, roll on 2010! <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" />
 
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ckikilwai

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I posted some snapshots in the STS-117 mission thread. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />Can't wait to see some high res pictures of the ISS!<br /><br />I'll add an extra snapshot here
 
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thereiwas

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I wish NASA TV would cover these "show and tells". All we get to see is some content-free introduction or thanks or something. No pictures or stories.
 
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dreada5

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I have seen a "show and tell" on NASA-TV but it was done by an Expedition 14 member, Jeffrey Williams. He did a pretty cool presentation with techno background music, covering his time onboard ISS, his high points and low points and just what its really like. He made it look very exciting... some astronauts have a natural ability to convey the excitement of living in space!
 
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dreada5

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<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>I posted some snapshots in the STS-117 mission thread.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />Gotcha! Looks like you guys thought of the TIE fighter thing before me!<br /><br />(me thinks great minds think alike) <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <br /><br /><br />Here's the fly-around:<br /><br />click here
 
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bobblebob

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Doesnt the shuttle during the flyby take some high res shots of the ISS?<br /><br />i remember after the last mission i had a really good high res pic of the ISS as my desktop wallpaper
 
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brellis

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This morning I had NASA-TV on as I did my chores, and watched ISS recede slowly with its newly-symmetrical profile glowing in the sunlight. Good stuff! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>
 
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3488

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Looking forward to seeing your image getting approved.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>
 
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jammers

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Are the panels on the bottom left of that picture made of different material or something? They seem to be a different colour to the rest.
 
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MeteorWayne

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No, I think he's talking about the different colors of the solar arrays in the image.<br /><br />I think that has to do with sun angle. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>
 
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MeteorWayne

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{s_g and MW bump heads <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> } <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>
 
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no_way

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<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>Wohoo!! High res pictures of the ISS!!!<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br />had a friend of mine watching this picture, and asking me "woah, nice. so what does it do ?"<br />
 
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ckikilwai

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"had a friend of mine watching this picture, and asking me "woah, nice. so what does it do ?" "<br /><br />It makes your breakfast <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br />But serious, if they show some astronauts doing a spacewalk on the truss segment on TV, they have no idea what they are doing, and think we probably already landed people on Mars to or so <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />I showed the pictures to some of my friends, and they found it awesome.<br />But seeing the ISS rise into sunlight, that was the most beautiful thing I ever watched live on the internet <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" /> <br /><br />edit: Although most older people won't understand what they are showing on TV about spaceflight, I think the new look of the ISS will inspire younger people.<br />In this view, the Shuttle wouldn't have failed in inspiring the next generations of engineers, because if the view of the ISS can't inspire them to become an engineer, a trip to the moon won't do the trick either.
 
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krisci3

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I wonder if the color change is due to the panel being turned the other way. On most panels I've seen in space, there is a dark bluish side and an orangish side. Perhaps they don't yet need all 4 generating power so one is rotated the other way? If you look at the high res versions you can tell its not the sun angle.
 
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MeteorWayne

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I don't think it's totally turned around, that would make no sense for gathering photons.<br /><br />It is more likely that the color is different for reflections from close angles, say between face on and +/- 40 degrees.<br /><br />I do wonder about the much different angles on the right side (in the picture) arrays. They seem to be at much different angles, which I don't understand from a light gathering point of view.<br /><br />MW <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>
 
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larper

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I seem to remember that when the shuttle is nearby, the arrays are feathered to minimize RCS plume effects. Once the shuttle is away, the arrays should all be at the same angle for max power. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong><font color="#ff0000">Vote </font><font color="#3366ff">Libertarian</font></strong></p> </div>
 
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MeteorWayne

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Aha, that might explain why the arrays on the right side of the image were at different angles, when you would expect if they were tracking the sun, the angle would be nearly the same. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>
 
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bpcooper

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One of the individual panels was facing the opposite direction (not a guess). You will also notice that one radiator panel is facing the other way because that truss/array was 180 degrees opposite from the other at the time of undock. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>-Ben</p> </div>
 
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krisci3

Guest
Here are some excerpts from a JSC employee<br /><br />The dark color is the silicon wafers (there is also a dark film over the wafers to protect them). When you look at these, the cells are actually black. The bluish color is due to the Earth's oceans reflecting (and glinting) back at you. We also coat the arrays to protect them from the corrosive effects of atomic oxygen. The dark color increases the quantum efficiency of the PV arrays, the coating decreases the energy conversion efficiency.<br /> <br />The gold color is due to the kapton substrate material behind the solar arrays. For ISS and the first sets of HST arrays, it was a kapton substrate that you see on the backside of the arrays. (The current set of HST arrays are galium arsenide and are rigid. Hence, you don't see the kapton subtrate on the backside of those arrays.)<br /><br />Bear in mind that I didn't work this mission, but ... the part you have circled, it looks to be that this is rotated about the beta gimbal assembly. This is still the 'back side' of the array. The remaining '3 arrays' are the business end of the PV modules.<br /><br />If you look at any solar arrays -- the 'business side' - they're actually black. The backside - the substrate is this copperish color, the kapton material.<br />
 
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dreada5

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<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p> if the view of the ISS can't inspire them to become an engineer, a trip to the moon won't do the trick either. <p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />I think ISS will mean more to them if when all those solar panels are installed it is so bright in the nightsky that it catches their eye as it whizzes by every night.<br /><br />Just like if one day we can look through a regular telescope and point to a thriving human outpost, out there on the moon/mars!<br /><br />a' la movie, 2010:<br /><font color="yellow"><i>"...You can tell them when we were alone, when we couldn't point to the light and say to ourselves there is life out there!"</i> </font> <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" />
 
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usn_skwerl

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and to think, it looked like this just 6 years ago. absolutely amazing.<br /><br />STS-101 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>
 
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MeteorWayne

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Nice contrast, usn_skwerl.<br /><br />It is good to remember where we came from! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>
 
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JonClarke

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This really is a beautiful sight that is going to get better.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>
 
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