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STS-98 The "Twinkie" DVDs Now Available At Project P.R.O.V.E.!

Space Shuttle Atlantis served well during the flight of STS-98 in February 2001. Liftoff from Launch Pad 39A Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral Florida, took place on 7 February 2001 at 5:13 PM CST (23:13 GMT). This marked the first NASA Shuttle flight of the 21st Century (Many think that the century & millenium began on New Year's Day 2000, but this is erroneous. The 20th Century ended at Midnight 31 December 2000). Atlantis docked to the International Space Station on 9 February, at 10:51 AM CST (16:51 GMT). When the hatches between the spacecraft were opened, the Crew of STS-98 were rung aboard Navy style by Commander Bill Shepherd of ISS Expedition 1. This was ISS Assembly Mission 5A, and its main task was the intallation of the new US built Destiny Laboratory Module. Three EVAs (Extra Vehicular Activity or spacewalk) were carried out by Astronauts Robert Curbeam and Thomas D. Jones, who helped install and connect Destiny. They executed a number of other tasks outside the Shuttle/Station Complex as well. The science side of the flight included the on orbit SIMPLEX experiment. The mission ended on 20 February 2001, with a safe landing on Runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base (NASA's Dryden Research Center) in the California desert, at 3:33 PM EST (20:33 GMT). My colleague L.L. Wille had access to the NASA internal engineering channel at the time, and captured photos after the landing which showed that the brakes on the port side main landing gear had failed, with a large hydraulic fluid leak seen in the photo at bottom right. Total duration: 12 days 21 hours 21 minutes. On Atlantis' second orbit, some three hours after liftoff, she passed directly over my (then) home in Sacramento, California. This was the very first time I video taped a Shuttle pass. It was some six weeks later, during the flight of STS-102, that the real inspiration for Project P.R.O.V.E. came to me.
	STS-98 Liftoff

	Robert Curbeam

	Thomas D. Jones

	Destiny Module

	Landing

THE EVENT

In the wee hours, a stationary, roughly cigar shaped object, made its appearance. (Which I dubbed "The Twinkie". The name refers to it's resemblance to the cream filled snack cake.) This object remained absolutely motionless during the time we were allowed to see it. I could find no hardware on the Shuttle or the Station which could account for it's presence. Likewise, I am positive it was not the Moon, a planet, or a star as the orbital velocity of the Shuttle/Station complex gives them the appearance of motion. In fact, earlier that same night, we did see the Moon "next" to the Pressurised Mating Adaptor (The pressurised tunnel through which crew persons use to transfer between Shuttle and Station), and it was in motion.

So, we are left with what? This object isn't hardware, it isn't astronomical, and it's not a light or city on the ground. The fact that it was hanging out in space beyond Atlantis' payload bay, in the middle of the night, also strongly suggests it to be self-luminous.

What is it then? I can't tell you what it was, only what it was not, and that it was there. Below are a series of still photos to familiarise you with the scene at the time. These include two shots from Mission Control Houston. One showing where the Shuttle/Station complex was at the beginning of the live downlink. The second from Mission Control is a two frame animation to document how far the spacecraft moved during the time the anomaly was in sight. Then a picture of the first appearance of the object, and an animated GIF to show you a good look at the object. This is followed by some enlargements, and enhancements from which you can make your own determination. Also included is a shot of the Moon (From an earlier obit that same flight day), and lastly a sky chart to illustrate for us what was in the heavens at this precise time.

Please note: In the animated GIF, as the camera pans to the right we see a perspective change in the "Twinkie", indicating that it is at some distance from the camera. Decide for yourself what is poised in space near the Shuttle/Station complex. It's not the Moon, star, or a planet.

SETTING THE SCENE
	This is a view of Mission Control in Houston, Texas. Note the main screen on the front wall of the room. The Shuttle/Station complex is orbiting over near center of the Pacific Ocean, and it's definately night where they are.

	The view switched over to the orbital tracking map. In Frame 1, the two spacecraft are just about to cross the equator, and are about 20 minutes from sunrise on orbit. Frame 1 is also just before the "live" downlink began.
When the live downlink of the "Twinkie" was suddenly cut off, we went back to this tracking map, designated Frame 2. As can be seen, only three to five minutes has elapsed between frames, and the spacecraft are still far from orbital sunrise. If the anomaly was NOT self-luminous, what was lighting it up?

	Object to the left in circle, the three cameras with lights on, and the robotic arm in it's cradle. This live downlink scene from Atlantis is only mere seconds after the Mission Control views above. The Shuttle/Station complex is still in the deep of night on orbit. The anomaly remained rock steady in its postion the entire time it was visible. This indicates it was either in synchronous orbit with Shuttle and Station, or it would have to be physically attached to one of them.
THE "TWINKIE"
	Note perspective change, indicating distance. Similar appearing objects were captured during the docking maneuvers of Progress-15, on 14 August 2004, and also whilst the crew of STS-112 were moving the S-1 Truss into position. Yet another example is from STS-114.

	Here we have a 200% blow-up of the object. We can rest assured that this thing is not astronomical in nature. There is no sunshine to illuminate ice or debris, either. The shape of this anomaly is also rather large to be an ice chip, or piece of debris. Atlantis has been on orbit for 8 days at this point. Most debris is shed in the first day or two after reaching orbit, so that seems unlikely. In the case of ice, this one would have to be very large indeed to present such an aspect.

	This picture is a 400% enlargement of the anomaly. As can be seen, it is beginning to show pixilation. Compare this shape to a picture of the Moon on this same day, and you will most likely come to the conclusion that they do not resemble each other. In addition, the Moon was in another part of the sky, and seen on the daylight side of Earth as well. This object is not physically connected to either the Shuttle or the Space Station.

	This frame shows how the Moon looked from the shuttle payload bay camera on 14 February 2001. It is gibbous, and seen on the daylight side of Earth. Note that the Sun is shining brightly on the pressurized mating adaptor to the left. This view is from the exact same payload bay camera as captured the footage containing the "Twinkie".
ENHANCEMENTS
	The animated GIF at left is a 250% zoom of the original VHS clip containing the object. We have done our best to keep it centered as long as possible, but as the payload bay camera panned to the right, the anomaly was lost to view.

	The same 250% zoom clip with colors reversed to make the object stand out.

	Now the zoom clip has been embossed in order to allow you to see it stand out against a neutral background. It can truly be seen that it is NOT connected physically to the Shuttle or Space Station now.

We can see from this chart, for the time of the event, that there was no Moon in the sky. Jupiter was on the extreme western horizon, and therefore would have been out of the field of view. The color cameras used in the payload bay, and during this event, cannot pick up an object as small as Jupiter. These cameras also do not pick up stars. About the only celestial bodies these color cameras can "see" are the Sun and Moon. So this proves, with near certainty, that the anomaly was not a celestial object.

***

At all times during this incident, the camera was under the control of the INCO in Houston Mission Control.

(INCO - INstrument & Communication Officer - The man in Houston Mission Control Center who is responsible for operating the Shuttle payload bay, and robotic arm, cameras. In the case of ISS, this officer is referred to as the CATO - Communications And Tracking Officer. In both cases, these persons CONTROL everything which is PERMITTED to go out on broadcast to the public. It is a commonly believed falacy that the cameras are operated by Astronauts & Cosmonauts on the Shuttles, and Space Station. Very little camera work is done by the crews. They're way too busy for that.)

At the end of the day, it's up to YOU to draw your own conclusions.