The afternoon of 7 October 2002 was bright and clear at Kennedy Space Center, in Cape Canaveral Florida. At 2:46 PM CDT (19:46 GMT), the calm was broken by the thundering liftoff of Space Shuttle .Atlantis from Launch Pad 39B, thus beginning her 44 hour journey to rendezvous and docking with ISS. STS-112 (aka ISS Assembly Flight 9A) docked with ISSy at 10:17 AM (15:17 GMT) on 9 October. ISS Expedition Crew Five greeted the Crew of STS-112 after hatches were opened between the two spacecraft. They spent the next seven days carrying out joint operations.

The main Cargo of STS-112 was delivery and installation of the S-1 Truss segment. Some expanation of this truss segment, and its contents from NASA: "The large truss contains: a new external cooling system for the station that is slated to be activated in 2003; a second S-Band communications system to provide enhanced and extended voice and data capability; a cart that will serve as a mobile work platform for future spacewalkers; two new external television cameras; and the first Thermal Radiator Rotary Joint, which will provide the mechanical and electrical energy for rotating the station's heat-rejecting radiators based on various system requirements." Some other cargo items were transferred from Shuttle to Station as well.

Three EVAs (Extra-Vehicular Activity or spacewalk) were conducted from the Quest Joint Airlock Module by Astronauts David Wolf and Piers Sellers. The two men worked to fit and activate the S-1 Truss to the S-0 segment delivered the previous spring by STS-110. The results of the three spacewalks, totaling 19 hours 41 minutes, was completely successful.

After the full week of joint activities was over, the Expedition Five Crew wished their departing guests bon voyage. STS-112 undocked from the Station at 8:13 AM CDT (13:13 GMT) on 16 October. She spent the next two days flying on her own, affording the crew a bit of rest and time to pack up for the return home. Atlantis landed safely at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, on runway 33 at 10:44 AM CDT (15:44 GMT) 18 October 2002. Total flight duration: 10 days 19 hours 59 minutes.

American spacecraft, when on orbit, use two main methods for sending TV signals back to Earth. One way is to use Ku-Band. This is what we would recognize as normal television, with full motion.

The other is known as S-Band, and results in what looks like a slide show of still frames. NASA has long claimed that S-Band is only used when Ku is not available for a variety of reasons. This writer has often noticed that S-Band seems to be substituted for normal Ku when there is something being hidden from the public, but just try to prove it under ordinary circumstances! As a matter of fact, there may be a case for proving it on this very page.

Just about two hours before the event in question here, an unknown object was observed by Atlantis' payload bay cameras as the S-1 Truss operation was in progress. This is the Bright Rectangle event. One must consider the possibility that the switch to use of the S-Band slide show, after the mystery object seen earlier, was done specifically to prevent the public from seeing any more of these things which seem to embarass NASA so.

In this particular case S-Band downlink TV was being used to relay the activity of the robotic arm of the Shuttle (Canadarm) as it was manipulating the S-1 Truss assembly into position. The frames refreshed about every 25 to 30 seconds, which is the normal rate for S-Band TV. Yet, after just a few moments of this from outside camera, we were suddenly switched to a view of two Astronauts working inside the Shuttle cabin, and they were in FULL MOTION Ku-Band TELEVISION!

If regular Ku-Band TV was NOT available for the outside cameras watching the truss, the arm, AND deep space, WHY, OH WHY was it on tap at the SAME TIME for views INSIDE the Shuttle? The signals are all routed through the same onboard equipment, the same Dish Antenna, and the same TDRS relay satellite.

TV from space is not special. In fact, it's about as common in the world as sunshine. Nearly ALL of the television programming you see in your home, from the nightly news to Saturday morning cartoons, comes from space! That's right, nearly all of it. And not just for those who use dish TV services, but also cable subscribers. Those who still use antennas are getting a significant portion of their programming from outer space, because all of your local TV broadcasters receive and rebroadcast programs from communication satellites. EVEN so-called "Third World" nations are using satellites for their television broadcasts these days.

These satellites form a Saturn like ring around the Earth's equator, and are in geosynchronous orbit, 22,500 miles (36,000 km) above our heads. That's roughly 10 TIMES the altitude of ISSy and the Shuttles on orbit, ONE WAY! The round trip distance for the signals is 45,000 miles! (72,000 km) That's about one fifth the distance to the Moon.

Have you routinely noticed any problem with your broadcaster's ability to provide full motion TV in your favorite shows? ...neither have I.

NASA downlink TV is USUALLY sent up from manned spacecraft to a TDRS satellite. (There are times when the signal is sent "line of sight" straight to a ground receiver) It is then relayed back down to White Sands New Mexico. At The White Sands Complex, there are two sides. One military, and the other NASA's. Sources tell me that the military reviews the signal first, and sends it over to the NASA side. From there it is sent to the Johnson Space Center, Building #8, in Houston Texas. It is only THEN that the signal is routed to the INCO/CATO desk in Mission Control. Here the officer in charge decides what is finally sent (VIA Satellite AGAIN!) out to the public on NASA Select TV. Heh Heh, there's a REASON they call it NASA SELECT TV!

The TDRS satellites reside in the same orbits, and at the same distances, as the commercial satellites. So why is it that commercial television, taking the same 45,000 mile (72,000 km) route up to space, and back to Earth, never seems to have trouble with full motion TV? Why is it that NASA TVso frequently does? The signals are routed the same way, using nearly identical technology.

My silly conclusion? They were hiding something! With 25 to 30 seconds between S-Band frames, there is plenty of time to excise anything that is not authorized for public viewing. I've been watching NASA mission coverage for a LONG time, and have seen many cases where S-Band frames were held for up to three minutes with no refresh. Seems obvious to me folks.

I very much wish I could show you the entire video sequence here, but alas, that is not possible with the equipment I have to hand. So you will have to accept, or not, my word of honor that the first four frames of the ensuing animated GIF took over 25 seconds each. I did my best to illustrate the motion of the two women by taking sample frames as close together as possible. The change over from S-Band to Ku was instant.

All frames used in the animated GIF were taken from the original raw VHS tape recorded "live" from NASA Select TV at the time.

Let's have a look at the visual presentation we have put together for you, shall we?

The first 5 frames of the GIF were spaced at 28 seconds apart, the refresh rate of the S-Band in this case. In the interest of brevity, the time on these has been reduced to five seconds each. From there, the rest of the frames demonstrate the motion of the two woman Astronauts inside the Shuttle cabin.

The point here is that we caught them "red handed" trying to have it BOTH WAYS! .It simply doesn't work that way in real life...

GOTCHA!

More On "Snow Games" Here

STS-104 Ridiculous "Snow" Games

STS-105 Snow Games

STS-110 Night Over California - NO SNOW!

ISS EVA 10a - Playing With The Night

ISS EVA 10b - Snow Games AGAIN!

ISS EVA 12a Snow Games Yet Again

ISS EVA 17 "Snow Games" Proven!

***

At all times during this incident, the camera was under the control of the CATO 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