[meteorite-list] OT: Probable launch debris recovered fromSouthCarolina
From: Mike Bandli <fuzzfoot_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 18:22:29 -0700 Message-ID: <58899E41B6C346F29B47A143AE3C5583_at_Bandli1> Hello Stuart: The payload fairing (piece that washed up on the beach) for the Ariane 5 is produced by the same Swiss company that made the payload fairing for the Atlas V 501 launch vehicle, which carried the X-37b. This explains the similar appearance. Cheers! ---------------------------------------------- Mike Bandli Historic Meteorites www.HistoricMeteorites.com IMCA #5765 ----------------------------------------------- -----Original Message----- From: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com [mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] On Behalf Of Stuart McDaniel - Action Shooting Supply Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 6:00 PM To: Matson, Robert D.; meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] OT: Probable launch debris recovered fromSouthCarolina OK guys I might be onto something here..............look at this picture of the super secret X-37B that was launched at KSC in April............ http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagedisplay/img_display.php?pic=x37b-sh roud-100421-02.jpg&cap=The+U.S.+Air+Force%27s+X-37B+Orbital+Test+Vehicle+is+ shown+inside+its+payload+fairing+during+encapsulation+at+the+Astrotech+facil ity+in+Titusville%2C+Fla.%2C+ahead+of+a+planned+April+2010+launch+from+Cape+ Canaveral+Air+Force+Station+in+Florida.+Credit%3A+USAF Panels inside look JUST LIKE the debris that washed up. http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/x-37b-space-plane-orbital-spy-100519 .html http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20100524/sc_space/secretx37bspaceplanespottedb yamateurskywatchers What do ya think??? Stuart McDaniel Lawndale, NC Secr., CCAS ----- Original Message ----- From: "Matson, Robert D." <ROBERT.D.MATSON at saic.com> To: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com> Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 8:20 PM Subject: [meteorite-list] OT: Probable launch debris recovered from SouthCarolina > Darren posted: > >> Washed up on a South Carolina beach (I'm in SC) > >> http://www.wmbfnews.com/Global/story.asp?S=12534303 > >> The next trick would have been driving around 250 miles home >> with that strapped to the roof... > > Worth a pretty penny to space debris collectors, to be sure. > > However, the conjecture at the end of the article can be easily > dismissed: > > "According to the BBC, an Ariane 5 rocket launched from French Guiana > in northern South America just three days ago. No word yet on if the > debris came from that rocket." > > It really doesn't take a rocket scientist to rule this out. Sure, > the Ariane 5 launch was May 21 and the debris washed ashore on > May 22. However, this was an eastern launch out of Kourou since > they were going to geosynchronous orbit. Kind of hard to get a > booster section from equatorial waters to the beaches of South > Carolina in 24 hours. This had to have come from an older launch -- > *assuming* it's space launch debris. > > The most recent Kourou launch prior to last Friday was Helios IIB > on an Ariane 5GS on December 18th. Unlike the May 24th launch, this > is a possible candidate for two reasons: (1) it allows sufficient > time for SRB debris to drift to the U.S. East Coast, and (2) the > Helios launch went into sunsynchronous (polar) orbit, which means > it launched north out of French Guiana. Unlike the solids on the > U.S. Space Shuttle, the Ariane 5 SRB's are not reusable and are > usually allowed to sink to the bottom of the ocean. Occasionally > they will be fitted with parachutes and recovered for diagnostic > purposes. (I don't happen to know if they attempted this on the > Helios IIB launch or not.) --Rob > ______________________________________________ > Visit the Archives at > http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html > Meteorite-list mailing list > Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > ______________________________________________ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list Received on Mon 24 May 2010 09:22:29 PM PDT |
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