Explorer 1 questions

1. Watching the Explorer 1 liftoff (on the Liftoff DVD), there is a
bright light shining near the top of the first stage, near where the
umbilical goes in. What is this light? It is visible for quite a
while after liftoff.

2. Why was Explorer 1 launched at night?
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Jud McCranie wrote:
1. Watching the Explorer 1 liftoff (on the Liftoff DVD), there is a
bright light shining near the top of the first stage, near where the
umbilical goes in. What is this light? It is visible for quite a
while after liftoff.

2. Why was Explorer 1 launched at night?
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1. Don't have the DVD so can't comment

2. The jet stream above the Cape was particularly unsettling. The
launch was delayed on the 29th, and again on the 30th. The next day
was their last chance or they'd have to lose their equipment until
after the Feb. 3 Vanguard launch.

The weather report on the morning of the 31st indicated that the
swiftly moving river of air had diverted north some hundred miles. At
around 2pm, the ABMA commander decided things were safe enough and
started the 8 hour countdown schedule. Explorer launched just 15
minutes ahead of schedule.

On 28 Aug 2006 18:05:35 -0700, "neopeius" wrote:

1. Don't have the DVD so can't comment

I've seen the light in other film too, but in those cases it was
already high enough that all you could see were the flames and that
light. The DVD shows it from liftoff, so the location of the light is
visible.
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Jud McCranie wrote:
On 28 Aug 2006 18:05:35 -0700, "neopeius" wrote:

1. Don't have the DVD so can't comment

I've seen the light in other film too, but in those cases it was
already high enough that all you could see were the flames and that
light. The DVD shows it from liftoff, so the location of the light is
visible.
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Feel free to e-mail me screencaps ^^

On 28 Aug 2006 19:16:11 -0700, "neopeius" wrote:

Feel free to e-mail me screencaps ^^

I don't know how to screen capture from a DVD playback.
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Jud McCranie wrote:

I've seen the light in other film too, but in those cases it was
already high enough that all you could see were the flames and that
light. The DVD shows it from liftoff, so the location of the light is
visible.



It's visible on the right side of his photo of the launch:
http://www.space.maljonicsdreams.com.../explorer1.jpg
I've always wondered about it also. Is it to aid tracking once the lower
part of the booster separates after engine burn-out?

Pat

On Tue, 29 Aug 2006 03:51:04 -0500, Pat Flannery
wrote:

It's visible on the right side of his photo of the launch:
http://www.space.maljonicsdreams.com.../explorer1.jpg

Yes, that's it. I looked at a lot of stills but didn't find it.
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Pat Flannery wrote:


Jud McCranie wrote:

I've seen the light in other film too, but in those cases it was
already high enough that all you could see were the flames and that
light. The DVD shows it from liftoff, so the location of the light is
visible.



It's visible on the right side of his photo of the launch:
http://www.space.maljonicsdreams.com.../explorer1.jpg
I've always wondered about it also. Is it to aid tracking once the lower
part of the booster separates after engine burn-out?

Whoa, I was totally wrong. I had the impression from the description
that something was burning on the side of the booster.

But now, hell. I agree with Pat. I'd bet it's a running light, now that
I recall descriptions by Gemini crewmen of Titan upper stages trailing
their spacecraft in orbit. Was it flashing in the video?

--

..

"Though I could not caution all, I yet may warn a few:
Don't lend your hand to raise no flag atop no ship of fools!"

--grateful dead.
__________________________________________________ _____________
Mike Flugennock, flugennock at sinkers dot org
"Mikey'zine": dubya dubya dubya dot sinkers dot org

On Tue, 29 Aug 2006 13:14:50 -0400, mike flugennock
wrote:

But now, hell. I agree with Pat. I'd bet it's a running light, now that
I recall descriptions by Gemini crewmen of Titan upper stages trailing
their spacecraft in orbit. Was it flashing in the video?

No, it is not flashing. Also, as far as I can tell, there is only one
of them, since there are several views of the rocket where it isn't
visible. Why would a rocket need a running light?
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mike flugennock wrote:


But now, hell. I agree with Pat. I'd bet it's a running light, now
that I recall descriptions by Gemini crewmen of Titan upper stages
trailing their spacecraft in orbit. Was it flashing in the video?

No, IIRC it was steady.

Pat