Tethered Satellite with U.F.O.s: Columbia's Close Encounter

Columbia and the satellite now 77 nautical miles apart. Again that call reporting that the crew can see the tether and see the satellite, it's beautiful. This view showing the satellite. Again just moving into sunrise. 81 nautical miles now from Columbia. Again just moving into sunrise. Franklin we see a long line, couple of star like things and a lot of things swimming in the foreground. Can you describe what you're seeing? Well, the long line is a tether and there's a little bit of debris that kind of flies with us and it's illuminated by the sun at such low angle. So this is the slowest tray light and is getting washed out quickly but Claude is trying to do a quick good job here adjusting the cameras. Copy that. Again, that description by the crew, this is the tether in the satellite, the satellite with 12, approximately 12 miles of tether still attached to it. Columbia and the satellite are now just passing over the west coast of northern Africa. The two spacecraft are now 90 nautical miles apart. Controllers for the satellite did have communications with it during the close pass between Columbia and the satellite. Climby Houston, that's a much better view, a lot more contrast visible. And how wide does that tether appear to be? It seems to resemble a much wider strand than we'd expect. Can you describe which way the satellite is visible on that strand? The satellite is visible on the left side of the tether. The satellite is visible on the right side of the tether. The satellite is visible on the left side of the tether. The satellite is visible on the right side of the tether. The satellite is visible on the left side of the tether. The satellite is visible on the left side of the tether. Satellite tether now, 100 nautical miles. Charlie, completely unzoomed, and you see the full extent of the tether. I tried to adjust the focus, but I can't get better than that. Okay, Claude, thank you. Satellite in Columbia now, almost 100 nautical miles apart. Controllers here remain in communications with the satellite. They've been in communications with it now. Via the payload interrogator on board Columbia, using Columbia as a communications relay station for telemetry from the satellite. They've been in communications for about 47 minutes, receiving the telemetry from the satellite. They've been in communications for about 47 minutes, receiving a very solid lock of communications with it. Those communications now are starting to get some interference, however still retaining communications to the satellite. Controllers did send commands to the satellite to attempt to gain some science information using the experiments on the satellite. And experiments simultaneously in Columbia's cargo bay, essentially using the satellite's instruments to attempt to detect electron beam emissions done by instruments in Columbia's cargo bay. Again, the two passed within 46 nautical miles of one another. The crew first saw the satellite when it was 100 nautical miles apart. Again, the two passed within 46 nautical miles of one another. The crew first saw the satellite when it was 150 nautical miles distant. That during the past sunrise, during this sunrise, this view shows the satellite again here in the center of the screen. With 12 nautical miles of tether connected to it. At present, the two now are 108 nautical miles apart. Columbia now ahead of the satellite continue to separate from it at a rate of 335 nautical miles per orbit. And we can still see it on our monitor as a very faint straight line becoming small and small and safe. We still see it with you. It's remarkably straight. Thank you, Claude. Range 113. We have the downlink and we have the tether. In the upper left-hand corner there. Straight as an arrow. So it seems from here. Yes, sir. We have it. Great picture. It came and went pretty quick, but that was about as much as we have of it. Great effort. Thanks. We'll be handing over here in about 45 seconds. Okay, Claude, we see it now.