Space Shuttle Atlantis rocketed from launch pad 39B, Kennedy Space Center at 4:04 AM CDT (9:04 GMT), on 12 July 2001. ISS Station Assembly flight 7 A, this was mission STS-104, the 105th Shuttle flight. Atlantis and crew spent nearly two days catching up with ISSy. Docking took place on 13 July, at 10:08 PM CDT (3:08 14 July GMT). The Crew were enthusiasticly welcomed aboard ISS by the Expedition 2 Crew.

The main porpose for this flight was to deliver the new Quest Joint Airlock module. This unit allows for EVAs (Extra Vehicular Activity or spacewalk) to be mounted from ISSy using American EMU and Russian Orlan space suits. The Quest module is seen at right. The Joint Airlock is 20ft long, 13ft in diameter and weighs 6.5 tons. It was built at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) by Boeing. The airlock has two main components: a crew airlock and an equipment airlock for storing EVA gear. STS-104 also carried a Spacelab Pallet with four High Pressure Gas Assembly containers that were attached to the exterior of the airlock.

Three EVAs were carried out by Astronauts Michael Gernhardt and James Reilly. On the first EVA, they assisted the two Robotic Arms (operated by ISS Flight engineer Susan Helms & Astronaut Janet Kavandi) during the installation of the Quest Module. The other two EVAs concentrated on finishing the installation of the High Pressure Gas Assembly containers, applying handrails, and other hardware associated with the airlock module. The third spacewalk saw first test of the Quest Airlock, and it performed very well.

Undocking from ISSy occurred on 21 July, at 11:54 PM CDT (4:54 22 July GMT). The final two days on orbit were spent resting and conducting various science experiments. Atlantis landed safely back at Kennedy Space Center on 24 July 2001, at 10:41 PM CDT (3:41 25 July GMT). Total flight duration: 12 days 18 hours 37 minutes. All mission goals were met, and the Quest Module was joined by the Russian PIRS Docking & Airlock compartment, on ISS Assembly Flight 4r, a month later via unmanned launch atop a Proton booster from Baykonur Cosmodrome.

In this case, the Shuttle/Station complex was orbiting as far south as it gets. It passed within sight of Antarctica, during the middle of Southern Winter. The low-light black & white night camera was watching the Aurora Australis (Southern counterpart to the Northern Lights) in the distance, when suddenly a small whitish object shot upward into space from the direction of the surface. Meteors NEVER go UP! What we refer to in this story as Object One was moving at very high speed, and disappeared rapidly. Stars could be seen around and through the auroral mistyness, and it was certain that the object went UP not Down. The original video recorded at the time by me was a "live" broadcast from NASA Select TV.

There were also four frames in the sequence, in which appeared a "twin light" object, what we refer to in this story as Object Two. The "twin lights" appeared a fraction of a second before Object One, so this writer is given to wonder if they are in some way connected.

In the case of both anomalies, there was absolutely no sunshine to illuminate them, it being the middle of the local night. These objects were both self-luminous, or so it would seem.

As is so common in night-time downlink television from Shuttles, there is a heavy "snow mask" in place. I'm convinced that this "snow" is intended to make the images of objects, like those which are the subject of this story, harder to see.

First, an animated GIF for orientation.

Herein lies the proof that "Object One" was no meteor. Meteors never rise upward from the surface of Earth. One might be inclined to wonder if the object was a rocket launch by some foreign power. This would seem reasonable on the surface, but there are no rocket launching facilities in Antarctica. Even if there were, there is little chance that they'd be in use during the middle of the night in the dead of the Antarctic winter. Another fact which negates the rocket theory is that this object is WAY to fast to be a man-made rocket or conventional spacecraft. In any case, what would light it up in the dark of night?

Lastly for Object One, we have this color reversed version of the zoom. In this case one can just make out, with a little study, that the object might have diverted slightly to the right in its course. This is patently impossible for anything astronomical or natural.

I tried embossing this object, but the result was of no use.

When embossed, the object(s) really stand out in 3D. What this might be is unknown at this time.

In conclusion, some very strange things appeared in space above Antarctica that night in July 2001. They were both there and gone so fast that the INCO in Houston had no chance to censor them from the public broadcast. We are very lucky to have even seen them at all!

***

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. He also remotely operates the helmet cameras in space suits. 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.

© 2005 Jeff Challender