[APML] Web site now has ISS astrophotography

[Robert Reeves <reeves10@swbell.net>]

Some of the astrophotography being done by Don Pettit aboard the space
station has been released at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/24mar_noseprints.htm?list127978

There are also details and a photo of the barn door tracker he built in
space.  To quote the web site:

"I assembled a 'barn door tracker'," says Pettit. "It's based on the fine
gimbal movements in the IMAX camera mount for the Destiny Lab window. I
figured out a way to mount a threaded screw and nut (scavenged from a
Progress rocket) and drive it with a Makita drill driver." The drill turns
the screw, which moves the camera and its spotting scope. "All of these
modifications clamp on to the IMAX mount and do not change its original
function in any way," notes Pettit.

"I manually compensate for the station's motion by looking through the
spotting scope and running the drill at the same time. It takes a bit of
practice, but you do learn to track."

Soon at a web site call the Space Station Photo of the Day (still
underdevelopment) the Iridium photography from orbit will be released.

Robert Reeves                      reeves10@swbell.net
520 Rittiman Rd.                   www.robertreeves.com
San Antonio, Texas 78209    210-828-9036
USA                                     29.484  98.440  200 meters


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