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GPS satellites and locations, Great for children and adults

AlaskaAV

GONE WEST
Mission, TX
Since most of us know how a GPS works and how important it is to aviation and even cars now days and for those in remote areas, this might be interesting to some.

Following is a link to a great NASA web site (our tax money at work) that shows every satellite orbiting the earth, it's orbit and location relative to other satellites at any given second. Java has to be enabled.

Something to do on a rainy day or when there is too much smoke to fly and there are no honey dos.

Once you enter the site, if all works right and after it loads up, you will see the world with a whole bunch of white dots. You will be looking for J Tack 3D just in case it goes to the home page.
Once the image comes up, you will notice all white dots move from time to time as the world turns. No ladies, that is not a TV soap program. :wink:

Now comes the fun part. Left click and hold and you can move the earth around in 3D. This can give an idea of altitude. By clicking on any white dot, it will give you the satellite name and show you the orbit. Note all the satellites around the equator. Most, if no all, of the GPS satellites are the furthest out.
Also, by using the tool bar at the top, you can locate any satellite by name, change the time interval and resize of the screen. Also available is the exact location at the exact time you view it.
Strange how our government can make a software program like this work almost perfect but can't get voting machines or income tax software to work.

Also available on this site is the location of the ISS at any given second and will show it's movement. When the shuttles were operating, you could watch the image as it lifted off and went into orbit to reach the SST. I watched MIRR fall out of the sky.

http://science.nasa.gov/RealTime/JTrack/3D/JTrack3D.html
 
CaptFox said:
I've seen this before, it really cool as you stated. :lol:

Also somewhere on there you can sign up for e-mails of visable satellite passes visable from your location, when and direction of where to view them. :eek:

David.

Dave
That feature is on the home page which should have came up under the 3D track. It is on the right side and very accurate. If anyone can not find it, let me know and will pass on the link.
 
Ernie,

You're too quick I just found the link and had edited my post to add a link...

David.
 
Back in the C-band days of satellite TV, I had a 6 1/2 foot fold down dish on top of my motor home. One of my favorite channels was the NASA on S-3. It was 24/7 real time of what was going on in the shuttle and/or mission control
I was sitting in the motor home one evening just about dark when the shuttle was headed for landing in FL. All of a sudden, I heard the shuttle ask mission control what town it was to their right. Control came back with Mexico City so I immediately went outside and easily spotted it on letdown some 300,000 foot high. Unbelievable almost orange colored
contrail at that altitude lit up by the setting sun and so clear because it was dark on the ground in deep south Texas. When I lost track of it, I suspect it was over Mississippi. I guarantee it was far over Super Cub downwind speed. :wink:
 
CaptFox said:
I've seen this before, it really cool as you stated. :lol:

Also somewhere on there you can sign up for e-mails of visible satellite passes visible from your location, when and direction of where to view them. :eek:

http://science.nasa.gov/RealTime/JPass/PassGenerator/ I think is the link.

David.

The link that David gave you requires a sign in but don't worry about it, it is a safe area and the same link I would have passed on.
Thanks David.
 
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