Slashdot Mirror
Russian Missile Test Seen and Photographed By ISS Astronauts
The Bad Astronomer writes "It sounds like a scene from Gravity: Astronauts aboard the International Space Station Thursday saw a weird, glowing cloud of light in the distance, most likely caused by a fuel dump or leaking fuel from a Russian missile launch. The extended life of a Topol missile was being tested in a ballistic launch to a test target in Kazakhstan, and the astronauts were able to take pictures of both the launch vapor trail and the glowing cloud. This event is similar to the eerie spiral lights seen over Norway in 2009 caused by a Russian missile launch as well."
Probably not as creepy as norway.
"The International Space Station silently orbits the Earth, black of space above, blue of ocean below. An astronaut floats in the cupola, a dome of glass and steel that faces the planet underneath, smiling to himself as he takes one photo after another of our home world. What he doesn’t know is that a Russian missile is about to make his life very interesting."
Because I imagine that the life of an astronaut is otherwise boring, on par with that of a rock farmer.
Didn't I just see this movie in the theater? Is this a viral ad for Gravity?
The Topol is a solid fueled rocket so fuel dumping,leakage is probably not the cause. I guess they will have to come up with another theory. The article has been updated to reflect this.
Pretty bright for a few minutes is my guess....
How would he like his precious satellites to get up in to space?
A balloon filled with unicorn farts.