is sputnik still orbiting earth?

On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 10:35:00 +0100, Jonathan Silverlight wrote:
Heavens-Above says Prospero's maximum brightness is 5.4, so it should be
much easier than Vanguard.

Interesting, thanks for the headsup, I will have to have a go for that one.
We still get (rare) nights when 5&1/2ish is just about poss. with mark1
eyeball.
Although, the few predictions I've just looked at are a lot less than that
at the mo. and antisocial hours !
I wonder if I can get Heavens-Above to search for next date at 5.4 ,,,,,

It didn't find Waxwing tho'

In message , MalcolmP
writes
On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 10:35:00 +0100, Jonathan Silverlight wrote:
Heavens-Above says Prospero's maximum brightness is 5.4, so it should be
much easier than Vanguard.

Interesting, thanks for the headsup, I will have to have a go for that one.
We still get (rare) nights when 5&1/2ish is just about poss. with mark1
eyeball.
Although, the few predictions I've just looked at are a lot less than that
at the mo. and antisocial hours !
I wonder if I can get Heavens-Above to search for next date at 5.4 ,,,,,

It didn't find Waxwing tho'

I only found it by searching for the year, when "Prospero Rocket" turns
up. Waxwing is how it's described in the RAE Handbook.

It didn't find Waxwing tho'

I only found it by searching for the year, when "Prospero Rocket" turns
up. Waxwing is how it's described in the RAE Handbook.

Ah ! Good thinking batman, thanks, got it now.
(Previously I put Oct 1971 into the search and got "VBScript runtime error"
for my troubles )

I remember Skylark and Blue Streak (and Blue Steel, but that wasn't quite
the same sort of thing), but dont remember Waxwing.

Is curious that the rocket should be slightly less bright than the
'satellite' tho' ?

On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 07:42:06 GMT,
(WaltA) wrote:

Just done some googling and it wasn't even Knight,
it seems that it was Black Arrow !
How odd, where did I get Black Knight from I wonder ?

Black Arrow was the successor to Black Knight and launched Prospero in
1971.

--
Alan White
Twenty-eight miles NW of Glasgow, overlooking Loch Goil and Loch Long in Argyll, Scotland.
Web cam and weather:- http://www.windycroft.gt-britain.co....her/kabcam.htm
Some walks and treks:- http://www.windycroft.gt-britain.co.uk/walks/

Alan wrote:
Black Arrow was the successor to Black Knight and launched Prospero in
1971.

Ah ! I see, many thanks for clearing that up Alan,
for a while there I was beginning to doubt my sanity :-)

In message , MalcolmP
writes
It didn't find Waxwing tho'

I only found it by searching for the year, when "Prospero Rocket" turns
up. Waxwing is how it's described in the RAE Handbook.

Ah ! Good thinking batman, thanks, got it now.
(Previously I put Oct 1971 into the search and got "VBScript runtime error"
for my troubles )

I remember Skylark and Blue Streak (and Blue Steel, but that wasn't quite
the same sort of thing),

Definitely not, if you do a Google search :-)

but dont remember Waxwing.

Is curious that the rocket should be slightly less bright than the
'satellite' tho' ?

Only very slightly. The two are almost the same size - the RAE handbook
says the satellite is a polyhedron 0.7 meters long and 1.12 across,
while the rocket is a cylinder + nozzle 1.36 meters long by 0.71 meters
diameter, but looking at this site the rocket body is almost spherical.
http://www.skomer.u-net.com/projects/waxwing.htm

On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 18:57:09 +0100, Jonathan Silverlight wrote:
I remember Skylark and Blue Streak (and Blue Steel, but that wasn't quite
the same sort of thing),

Definitely not, if you do a Google search :-)

Like this ? :-
http://www.nms.ac.uk/flight/collecti...s.asp?m=5&s=12
Blue Steel is seventh item down.
4th item is Black Knight / Black Arrow
8th is Blue Streak

Here is another on Blue Steel
http://www.awe.co.uk/main_site/about...imeline/1961b/

http://www.skomer.u-net.com/projects/waxwing.htm

Interesting site, thanks.

"WaltA" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 02:04:23 GMT, MalcolmP wrote:
ooops !
Black Knight.

Crumbs,
Just done some googling and it wasn't even Knight,
it seems that it was Black Arrow !
How odd, where did I get Black Knight from I wonder ?


A Deep Purple single ?