114LT



STS-114...The 90° Turn! DVDs Now Available At Project P.R.O.V.E.!

STS-114 lifted off from Launch Pad 39B, Kennedy Space Center, on 26 July 2005 at 9:39 AM CDT (14:39 GMT). This daylight launch was the most watched in Shuttle history, with the possible exception of STS-1, the initial Shuttle launch on 12 April 1981. The timing and solar angle were chosen to maximise opportunities to film the liftoff, and ascent, from every possible perspective. These even included modified old jet bombers from the 1950s (WB-57 Canberras), carrying special camera turrets in the nose for the purpose of photographing Discovery at high altitude as she was on her way to orbit. The reasoning behind all of this was to make sure that if there were ANY debris strikes on the orbiter's sensitive heat shield, like the one which doomed Columbia in 2003, they would be captured on film for detailed analysis before allowing Discovery to re-enter the atmosphere. The Crew experienced some facets of Shuttle flight that are entirely new. On orbit inspection of the heat shield, manual repairs to that heat shield, and experiments with different methods of on orbit heat shield repair. In addition, Discovery carried over 15 tons of equipment and supplies to the International Space Station ( in the Raphaello MPLM module ), where she was greeted upon arrival by the Expedition 11 Crew. Three EVAs (Extra-Vehicular Activity or spacewalk) were carried out. These involved Space Station repairs, improvements, and attending to heat shield problems. A fourth EVA to repair a flaw in the insulation below Commander Eileen Collins window was cancelled as unnecessary. Space Shuttle Discovery and her crew landed safely at Edwards Air Force Base (NASA's Dryden Research Center) in the California desert at 7:11 AM CDT (12:11 GMT) on 9 August 2005. Total flight duration was 13 days 21 hours 32 minutes. The mission was highly successful, accomplishing every goal set for it. The sad news is that in the wake of continued problems with external tank insulation breaking away during liftoff, the Shuttle fleet has been indefinately grounded until the problem is solved.
	STS-114 Liftoff

	Belly Inspection

	Inside ISSy

	Robinson On EVA

	STS-114 Landing

THE EVENT

On 2 August 2005, the Shuttle/Station Complex was orbiting off the Argentine coast and within the SAA. The strange flash phenomenon was in full progress when an object entered the field of view from the bottom of the TV screen. This object moved upward, and executed a sudden 90° turn to the left. It then exited the field of view out the bottom of the screen again.

Now this object was badly out of focus, and might possibly be an errant bit of junk passing through the beam of the floodlight mounted on the payload bay camera. BUT, we cannot be sure of this, as much of the night time footage from STS-114 was terribly out of focus. And WHAT made the object change course if it's merely a bit of ice or debris? The cause usually cited by debunkers is the automatic firing of an RCS jet (Reaction Control System). For an example of an RCS jet firing, please look at This Page.

BAD FOCUS - DELIBERATE? or INCOMPETENCE?
	What we have at left is a black and white night view of cities on the ground in Brazil. They are so badly out of focus, they resemble lighted clouds more than human settlements. Cities and towns DO have rather indistinct edges because as you look further from the city center, there are fewer and fewer ground lights. However, they are not normally ever as fuzzy as what we see in this frame.
There were a number of examples of this sort of "live" downlink, from NASA Select TV, during STS-114. Next is another incidence of what seems to be deliberate lack of focus in night time black and white footage.

	Here is another example of bad focus in a night time "live" downlink from the low-light black and white camera aboard ISSy during the STS-114 mission. This time, we were looking down at South Africa, and can see numerous cities in the distance, all out of focus. In addition, Shuttle Discovery, ISS Destiny Lab module, and the Canadarm II are unfocused as well.
The INCO was sending out a LOT of TV to the public, during STS-114, that was badly out of focus. We cannot be certain that this was NOT the cause for the anomaly we will look at on this page being poorly focused too.
SETTING THE SCENE
	Now we shall take a look at the incident in question. As can be seen to the left, the Shuttle/Station Complex was orbiting just off the coast of Argentina, over the South Atlantic Ocean. This is also the region known as the South Atlantic Anomaly.
THE 90° TURN
	The object in the circle is what we will be watching in the animated GIF which is next.

	The anomaly is to the lower right. It enters the field of view, rises toward upper left, and makes a sudden left turn to exit bottom screen. Due to the fact that this object exhibits anomalous behavior, I believe it to be an unknown. The "other" flashes in the field of view are the strange phenomenon associated with the SAA.

TWO objects duiplaying similar behavior were seen during STS-109, in March 2002. One was discovered by Dr. Oren Swearingen DDS of Texas, and shared with the world here at Project P.R.O.V.E. STS-109 Oren's Turn. The other one I found for myself in the video coverage of an EVA (Extra Vehicular Activity) carried out to service the Hubble Space Telescope during STS-109. That story is STS-109 The BIG One Pt.2.

***

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.