On the morning of 9 September 2006, at 10:15 AM CDT (15:15 GMT), Space Shuttle Atlantis boosted away from Launch Complex 39B, at Kennedy Space Center Florida. This marked the beginning of flight STS-115 (ISS Assembly Flight 12A). After roughly nine minutes of powered flight, the engines were cut off, and orbit attained.

Two days later, after a complicated chase and rendezvous, Atlantis docked to ISS on 11 September. Once a hard seal had been achieved with Pressurized Mating Adapter 3 mounted to the U.S. Destiny Laboratory Module, hatches were opened, and the two crews greeted each other. ISS Expedition 13 members Pavel Vinogradov (Commander), Jeff Williams (Flight Engineer), and Thomas Reiter (ESA Astronaut) were very happy to welcome the STS-115 Crew aboard.

In the ensuing days, three intense spacewalks were mounted from ISSy's Quest Joint Airlock for the purpose of installing the new P3/P4 Solar Arrays. This was the first station assembly mission since STS-113 in 2002. The spacewalkers on STS-115 included veteran Joe Tanner, first timer Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, Canadian Steve MacLean, and Dan Burbank. Each team "camped out" in the Quest airlock over night before their EVA. They were breathing pure oxygen to flush nitrogen from their bloodstreams before suiting up and going outside.

Following undocking from ISSy on 17 September 2006, Atlantis flew solo for the next four days. On this date, ISS Expedition 14 launched from Baykonur Cosmodrome aboard Soyuz TMA-9. The new crew consisted of Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria, and Flight Engineer/Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin. The third member, Sunita Williams will swap places with Thomas Reiter at a later date. Along for the ride was the first woman space tourist, Anousheh Ansari.

Unexpected objects were sighted whilst Atlantis was flying alone. Engineers announced that these were all Shuttle based debris. Landing was delayed for an extra day to determine if the Shuttle's delicate heat shield had somehow sustained damage. None was found, and Atlantis landed safely at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility on 21 September 2006, at 5:21 AM CDT (10:21 GMT). It had been a successful and productive mission.

On 11 September 2006 a color payload bay camera was sweeping about, finally settling on a view of the robotic arm. This was during orbital night. As is so often the case with the payload bay cameras, when in use at night, there was a very annoying "green fogginess" overiding the downlinked video. I've stated this before, and must reiterate: this sort of distortion in the picture is NEVER seen in downlink video from INSIDE the spacecraft. WHY? I can think of one very good reason...to obscure fine detail, and thus prevent a clear picture of any anomalous objects which might find their way into the field of view.

There are times when the "added" colored fog is red. One rather good example of this is seen in the "Hovering Orb" event from STS-96. This nasty distortion is similar in intent and purpose to the "snowy mask" seen almost universally in the downlinked video from the low-light black & white cameras at night. Examples of this phenomenon can be seen in these pages.

STS-104 Ridiculous Snow Games!

STS-105 Snow Games!

ISS EVA 10b Snow Games AGAIN!

STS-121 Forgotten Snow!

So, in a moment, we'll have a look at the "green fog" from the first EVA of this flight. But first, I'd like to try to explain a few things about this "fog" distortion we see so much of. They probably want you to believe that there is nothing anyone can do about it, that it's just one of the characteristics of TV from outer space.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

When they WANT to have a clear picture, they do. The "fog" is NOT routine, nor is it "Just part of the facts of life for TV from space". This writer is of the opinion that the "fog" is added to the signal, AFTER it comes down from space, but BEFORE the signal reaches the public. I am of the opinion that its purpose is to obscure fine detail in night views. This sort of thing would go a long way toward keeping members of the public at large from noticing anomalous activity. These can be especially subtle as well, so the masking simply increases the likelyhood that they will be missed.

I'd also like to point out again that this "fog" is NEVER present during live downlink TV from INSIDE the Shuttles or Space Station.

It's also missing from daytime downlink broadcasts. It's only in the views from outside...at night.

Something else to consider. 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 this sort of "snow" (which permeates NASA broadcasts from night time downlink) 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 for anomalies first, and sends it over to the NASA side. The NASA White Sands facility reviews the signal for anomalies again. 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. So, according to unverified sources, the "live" downlink from our spacecraft is checked for anomalies no less than THREE times before it is permitted to be seen by US, the people who get to pay for it all. 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 this mask of foggy color? Why is it that NASA color TV, at night, almost always does? The signals are routed the same way, using nearly identical technology.

The color distortion in NASA TV at night looks less and less justified, doesn't it?

Let's take a look at the visual presentation I've put together for you now, shall we?

Somewhere along the line, the "green fog" has been added to the signal before it got to US, the tax paying public.

An example from STS-121, of outdoor color TV without the "fog" is HERE.

One just has to wonder what it is that they are so afraid we might see were the picture crystal clear, as it always is INSIDE the spacecraft. I leave you to ponder this, and other questions.

***

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.

© 2006 Jeff Challender