Since 1 November 2000, the International Space Station has been manned continuously. At 11:04 PM CDT 30 September 2005 (04:04 1 October GMT), Soyuz TMA-7 lifted off atop a Starsem (a.k.a. Fregat) rocket booster from Baykonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. After nine minutes of powered flight, ISS Expedition 12 reached orbit and was on its way toward rendezvous and docking with the space station some two days later. Aboard were Soyuz Commander and Expedition 12 Flight Engineer Valery Tokarev, Expedition 12 Commander Bill McArthur, and the world's third space tourist Gregory Olsen.

Docking with ISSy took place on 3 October at 12:27 AM CDT (05:27 GMT). Following routine safety checks, hatches between the two spacecraft were opened at 3:36 AM CDT (08:36 GMT). Expedition 11 crewmen Sergei Krikalev and John Phillips offered the traditional Russian welcoming ceremony of bread and salt to the new arrivals.

For eight days, the two crews and Greg Olsen worked together. Olsen carried out his own list of scientific experiments during his time aboard. After the transition week was over, Expedition 11 undocked and departed ISS in their Soyuz TMA-6 vehicle. They landed safely, along with space tourist Greg Olsen, back in Kazakhstan on 10 October 2005 at 8:09 PM CDT (01:09 11 October GMT).

During their six month stay on ISSy, McArthur and Tokarev carried out two EVAs (Extra-Vehicular Activity or spacewalk), a wide variety of science experiments, and managed ongoing maintenance of the orbiting complex.

The first EVA of the flight was conducted in US spacesuits from the Quest airlock on 7 November 2005. The second Expedition 12 EVA was carried out in Russian Orlan suits from the PIRS docking and airlock compartment on 3 February 2006. Both spacewalks were considered a success.

At the onset of Expedition 12, there was some doubt as to whether McArthur would be the last American on ISSy for some time. Agreements between Russia and the US were expiring. There was also political tension over Russian aid to Iran, against which the US government appears to have aggressive designs. The US/Russian Soyuz agreement has since been renewed for a time. Expedition 12 is still in progress as of this writing, so updates to this summary will be added as events unfold.

ISS EVA 12b was initiated when the Commander Bill McArthur and Flight Engineer Valery Tokarev opened the hatch of the PIRS docking and airlock compartment at 4:44 PM CST (22:44 GMT) on 3 February 2006. Both men were clad in Russian Orlan spacesuits for this EVA. The first task at hand was to launch the creative SuitSat-1 into an independent orbit from ISSy. As the aged Orlan spacesuit tumbled off into space, Valery Tokarev was heard to say "Goodbye Mr. Smith" (MP3 file 83kb © 2006 Jeff Challender) (Click on "Goodbye Mr. Smith" at right for an animated GIF of SuitSat Launch). SuitSat-1 was stuffed with discarded clothes, ham radio gear, batteries, recorded greetings in six languages, and a CD with more than 300 images. Its radio failed after only two orbits, unfortunately.

The next activity on the agenda was to move a Strela (Russian for "Arrow") crane from the Zarya module, and install it with an adaptor to PMA-3 (Pressurized Mating Adaptor) between the Unity Node and Zarya. This to make room to temporarily store new debris shields to be delivered by STS-121 at a future date.

Following completion of the crane move, the two men advanced to the S-1 Truss segment to attempt applying a "safing bolt" to to an emergency cable cutter on the Mobile Transporter. On 16 December 2005, the cutter accidentally sliced through one of two power and data cables on the Mobile Transporter, and NASA wanted to ensure this didn't happen to the only remaining cable as well. McArthur was not able to complete this job, and ended up applying a temporary wire tie to secure the cable to a handrail until it can be safed at a another time.

Then, McArthur and Tokarev returned to the Zvezda module to recover a Russian bio-risk experiment, shoot a number of photos on the outside of the station, and finally return to the PIRS compartment. The hatch was closed at 9:27 PM CST (04:27 GMT 4 February) to end the 5 hour 23 minute spacewalk. It was the 64th spacewalk in support of station assembly and maintenance, the 36th staged from the station, and the 17th conducted from PIRS. EVA 12b was McArthur's 4th sojourn in a spacesuit, and Tokarev's 2nd.

In this examination, we'll take a good look at what appears to be another of NASA's little "tricks" with their TV broadcasts designed to obscure detail and make it difficult to see possible anomalous objects in space.

This one is a series of vertical "bars" superimposed upon the "live" signal from NASA Select TV. These bars have been encountered before, but not as dramatically as in this case. That previous occurance was "Soyuz TMA-4 & The Strange Phenomenon".

The case we look at here includes the camera panning to the left with the Russian segment of ISSy in the field of view. It leaves little doubt that the "bars" are added to the signal before being sent out for public view. 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 "bars" are NOT routine, nor are they "Just part of the facts of life for TV from space". This writer is of the opinion that the "bars " are 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 that these "bars" are NEVER present during live downlink TV from INSIDE the Shuttles or Space Station.

They're also missing from daytime downlink broadcasts. They are 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 such "bars" 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 (usually an ACTIVE DUTY military officer ranking Major or higher) 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 a mask of obscuring bars? Why is it that NASA TV, at night, so frequently does? The signals are routed the same way, using nearly identical technology.

The "bars" at night look less and less justified, don't they?

So, all that said, how about we now take a look at...

So, there you have it. The "bars" are almost certainly added to the TV broadcast deliberately, since they don't appear in TV from inside the station, nor in day time downlink. What more need be said?

More examples of this curious bar pattern in use can be found in video from STS-115.

***

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