On 8 September 2000 at 7:46 AM CDT (12:46 GMT), Space Shuttle Atlantis was launched into orbit. She lifted off from Launch Complex 39A, at Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Florida, initiating the flight of STS-106. Atlantis spent the next two days catching up with the still unmanned space station. Rendezvous took place on 10 September, with final docking at 12:51 AM CDT (5:51 GMT)

The Mission (Assembly Flight 2A.2a) was the next in an ongoing series of flights to build and supply the International Space Station (ISS), and the Crew flawlessly performed all tasks on the agenda.

STS-106 was the next to last Shuttle flight to an unmanned International Space Station (ISS). A single EVA (Extra Vehicular Activity or spacewalk) carried out by Cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko and Astronaut Edward Lu. The two spacewalkers made the final cable connectons between the Zarya module (Russian word for 'SUNRISE') and the brand new service module named Zvezda (Russian word for 'STAR'), which was lauched from Baikonur Cosmodrome atop a Proton booster in July 2000. Another essential task which was completed by the STS-106 crew was the activation of the toilet facilities aboard Zvezda.

10,965 lbs. (4974 kg) of supplies and equipment were delivered by Atlantis to ISSy. Most of this contained in the SPACEHAB Logistics Double Module. In addition, the STS-106 crew unloaded an automated Russian cargo ship, called Progress, which docked to the station in July 2000.

The First Expedition Crew launched weeks later, in a Soyuz spacecraft atop a Starsem rocket booster, from Baykonur Cosmodrome, on 30 October 2000.

Undocking occurred at 10:46 PM 17 September (3:36 18 September GMT), with the Shuttle flying alone for the next 29 hours. Atlantis landed safely on Runway 15, Kennedy Space Center, at 3:56 AM EDT (7:56 GMT) 19 September 2000, for a total flight duration of 11 days 19 hours 12 minutes.

I've been "sitting on" this event for almost four years. The reason being that I didn't want to endanger the person who sent it to me. I now believe it's been long enough that it can't be traced back to the source.

The subject of this page is highly unusual, in that it was sent me by a NASA employee in late 2001. I do not have it in my archive of VHS tapes from STS-106 bacause, according to the sender, this footage was never broadcast to the public. It was copied by the person from internal sources at NASA. Along with the video footage, which was sent on a CD in .avi format, was a photocopy of the NASA document concerning the event. The .avi clip was originally 2 minutes 47 seconds long, and was taken from a much longer video tape. What we don't know is WHAT part of the original NASA tape.

The field of view included Canadarm ( referred to in the document as RMS or Remote Manipulating System ) being checked out some 18 hours into the flight. We can also see in the field of view; Atlantis' payload bay, cargo, and the aft bulkhead of the crew cabin with its windows. In addition, there is a sizeable view of deep space with a bright white object NASA identifies as THE MOON. We'll see about that later. It's the reason our contact sent this video clip previously unseen by the public.

What we can determine from the document below is next.

What information, which is useful to our examination, can we learn from the NASA document above, as it pertains to the clip sent by the NASA employee?

Number one: We can determine the date. GMT day 253 was 9 September 2000.

Orbit number 13 is indicated, and it is stated that this was Flight Day 2.

Downlink Reel #002 is also specified. This is a clue to why the footage was never seen on NASA Select TV. It was shot, and saved aboard Atlantis, to be sent to Houston at a later time, and was not "LIVE" downlink. So, if any of this footage EVER made it to a NASA broadcast, it was edited beforehand to eliminate the strange event in the clip sent to me.

The most likely time frame germain to our video clip is probably the last one, shot between 7:41:25:05 and 7:56:58:04 GMT. This is approximately a 15 1/2 minute span, and corresponds to between 2:41 and 2:57 AM CDT.

If we are correct about the time frame, and the references in the last part of the document, then the video clip we have is from payload bay camera B. That camera is in the left rear corner of the payload bay.

It is indicated that the Robotic Arm was being powered up and tested during this time. The video was most likely shot for later evaluation by engineers.

Finally, we have someone's decision that the bright object in the field of view is THE MOON !

© 2005 Heavens Above

This is a whole sky chart for the relevant date and time. A program for calulating the Moon's position and phase for specific dates shows that the Moon was a waxing gibbous (Between first quarter and full) on that morning.

Notice that the Moon is on the extreme western horizon, and about to set. With the Moon this close to the limb of earth as seen from orbit, the Earth should have been in the field of view as well. IT IS NOT! And if the lighting conditions were such that the limb of Earth would be "washed out", then it's logical to expect that the Moon would be also. An example of what a rising FULL Moon looks like from a Shuttle payload bay camera is HERE. There are pictures there of normal view, zoomed with and without iris adjustment, and a beautiful photo of the Moon taken with a hand held high resolution camera.

Jupiter, Saturn, and the stars are far too small and dim to have been factors.

This writer does not know the meaning of the progressing numbers embedded in the video to the upper right. They don't resemble any clock I'm familiar with.

The motion of the object certainly seems to rule out the Moon as an explanation. It scoots across the field of view, curving slightly upward toward the end of its traverse, comes to a sudden and compete stop, then slowly moves downward. The object also appears to be spinning, or rotating.

The Moon simply doesn't move this way. Were this sort of motion due to the firing of RCS jets (Reaction Control System) then we would certainly see the robotic arm being slewed from side to side. Since Canadarm is meant to be used ONLY in the micro-gravity of orbit, it is NOT very sturdy. This is why you always see it moving at the speed of the minute hand on an analog clock. There is no possibility whatsoever that the OMS ( Orbital Maneuvering System ) rockets were used. They are only used for gross maneuvers, such as major orbital changes for ISS rendezvous, and the deorbit burn which slows Shuttles for re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. So we can rule out rockets moving the Shuttle around relative to the Moon.

We must also consider the possibility that the object is a piece of ice or debris from Atlantis herself. What makes this idea difficult to accept is the sheer SIZE of the object. It's obviously capable of casting a shadow of considerable proportion. And it's also hard to understand a large piece of debris moving and stopping the way this object does, unless it's equipped with a form of independent propulsion.

That leaves us with WHAT?

An unknown object, in the opinion of this writer. This is why our contact felt it important to get this footage out to the public. I'm personally honored that he chose me to do this.

There are other things going on here which are decidedly non-Lunar in character. Did you notice that as the object moved from left to right, it somehow cast a "shadow" over Atlantis? Could the MOON do that? I don't think so.

Let's take a closer look at this, OK?

This cannot be light from the Sun. If it were, ALL of Atlantis would be illuminated. As you can see for yourself, the bright light is localized in the area of the arm and crew cabin. The rest of Atlantis is not in the light, and there should be NOTHING out there to cast a shadow on the after portion of the payload bay.

Docking with the UNMANNED ISSy was not to take place for another 24 hours yet, so we can also rule out a floodlight from ISSy being the source. The Shuttle was flying ALONE at this point in the mission, so WHERE does this concentrated beam of light COME FROM?

This writer cannot explain the relationship, or how it happened. I can only tell you what did NOT account for this event. For certain, something strange happened on 9 September 2000, during the second flight day of STS-106.

***

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.

© 2005 Jeff Challender