STS-75 Tether Encounter -- Unpublished crew photography now available

a reply to: JimOberg

Could you make a zip or two with those images and upload it to a file sharing site like app.box.com, for example, so we can download all those images?

Thanks in advance.

a reply to: ArMaP

I have the CD with about 80 images at 20 meg each, what software/site should I use, please m2m instructions.

a reply to: Elton

Awesome research Jim! You've got some big doors opened.

The video explanation Elton posted is very a very convincing demonstration. Especially how the floaters are shaped just like the lens.

So when are we going to see photos showing what is seen in the video(s) and which has generated a lot of threads? A photo shows the tether at a distance. A photo shows an "orb" which has a circle drawn around it to show its non-circular shape but in the meantime the center IS round. If they exist and you can access them, please show photos of the clusters of moving "orbs". Since they are seen on the video surely they can be seen on stills. Where are they?

If you can't show still photos of the clusters then this thread has not delivered what seems to be promised.

originally posted by: Uggielicious

So when are we going to see photos showing what is seen in the video(s) and which has generated a lot of threads? A photo shows the tether at a distance. A photo shows an "orb" which has a circle drawn around it to show its non-circular shape but in the meantime the center IS round. If they exist and you can access them, please show photos of the clusters of moving "orbs". Since they are seen on the video surely they can be seen on stills. Where are they?

If you can't show still photos of the clusters then this thread has not delivered what seems to be promised.

I'm not sure if you're being serious?

You do realise there is another possibility ie: The orbs didn't exist and were just out of focus particles. This thread promised the truth not what you wanted to hear.

originally posted by: fatdeeman

originally posted by: Uggielicious

So when are we going to see photos showing what is seen in the video(s) and which has generated a lot of threads? A photo shows the tether at a distance. A photo shows an "orb" which has a circle drawn around it to show its non-circular shape but in the meantime the center IS round. If they exist and you can access them, please show photos of the clusters of moving "orbs". Since they are seen on the video surely they can be seen on stills. Where are they?

If you can't show still photos of the clusters then this thread has not delivered what seems to be promised.

I'm not sure if you're being serious?

You do realise there is another possibility ie: The orbs didn't exist and were just out of focus particles. This thread promised the truth not what you wanted to hear.

The orbs were not out of focus particles that's just plain wrong. It's easy to dismiss this case when taken in isolation but it's not the only footage of this phenomena Martyn Stubbs (the original source of the tether footage) has published hundreds of these types of clips which show the same thing.

originally posted by: JamesTB
The orbs were not out of focus particles that's just plain wrong.

What I think is wrong is accept with blind fate one explanation and reject all others just because they do not support our own point of view.

From all I have seen, the STS-75 video shows only what looks like out of focus bright objects much closer to the camera than the tether.

I agree with Armap but also agree the case for this remains elusive, and the nature of such particles is inadequately established by any documentation/testimony obtained, aside from what it 'looks like' to the best experts, those who have really watched these videos with full technical knowledge, from Mission Control. I'm a bit frustrated in getting into those files, which I attribute merely to passage of time and departure of personnel...

Also, I agree the gentle curving of some flight paths is real, not a lens effect, and there are a number of prosaic candidate explanations for it, but it still remains 'unexplained' in any definitive way -- and also needs work.

Working on it. Just not number 1 priority, myself, too.

It's weird-looking enough that the legitimately fascinated and baffled public does deserve a more thorough report.

Working on it.

originally posted by: ArMaP

originally posted by: JamesTB
The orbs were not out of focus particles that's just plain wrong.

What I think is wrong is accept with blind fate one explanation and reject all others just because they do not support our own point of view.

From all I have seen, the STS-75 video shows only what looks like out of focus bright objects much closer to the camera than the tether.

I disagree. I'm not a professional photographer but I have been taking pictures since 1955. In the video, there seems to be space between the various-sized round images with or without the notch. Objects closer to the camera that would be out of focus would not show "sharp" edges. The tether looks wider than it might be because the scene seems to be overexposed giving it a halo surrounding the cable (?). The objects move with a purpose and some can be seen to change course, slightly.

If the "discs" were close to the camera as you believe there would be no shapes, just white blobs that might resemble cotton balls, especially if the camera lens was focused for distance. Since the tether was approx. 19 miles away it doesn't make sense for a camera to be focused any closer. Distance results in sharpness.

Is it the consensus that those discs are the result of camera optical shenanigans? An earth-based attempt to recreate the video, short of the poor attempts shown on tv, is not possible. We'll never know what those disc-shapes were and whether they were really out there or in here (pointing to head).

Luna Cognita has a video on YouTube showing the flight paths of all of the main discs. This video alone disproves the water dump explanation offered by another member.

originally posted by: JimOberg
I agree with Armap...

snip

ArMaP said "From all I have seen, the STS-75 video shows only what looks like out of focus bright objects much closer to the camera than the tether."

Mr. Oberg: You agree with ArMaP even though his believed reason is devoid of explanatory details leading to his conclusion. It would be more interesting and possibly educational to read your reasons for accepting ArMaP's conclusion since, in all reality, his conclusion falls short of the mark as I explained elsewhere.

a reply to: JimOberg

I'm adding the following to add a little fuel to the fire. I've stated that I disagree with those who propose that the discs seen in the video are the result of a water dump, or that the discs are close to the camera. Neither suggestion works when logic is employed. To repeat myself:
First, a water dump can be equaled to a shotgun firing. The pellets come out of a barrel and travel together in a straight path. Without earth's gravity they'll just keep going as a group with maybe the pellet pattern widening over distance. A water dump should be compared to the shotgun blast and the water droplets now turned to ice all traveling together. The video shows discs of various sizes and distances traveling in individual paths.

Second, the video was shot with a camera whose lens was not focused on near for the tether was approx. 19 miles away and the lens had to be set to telephoto. Anything close to the shuttle and in the camera's view would have been a blur, a formless cotton ball-like image without definition. The discs have definition.

Here's my reason for this reply. I'm watching the tv show "NASA's Unexplained Files" on the Science Channel. One of the segments that included "Life may have been found on Mars; mysterious Moon Pigeons". Comments are heard by various personalities including NASA Analyst Jim Oberg. Mr. Oberg says "Will generally tend to hang out together". Since I wasn't looking at the screen when he made the comment but it had something to do with space, his comment contradicts the discs in the video which are traveling in all directions and not "hanging out together".

Since Mr. Oberg provides a photo of the tether at distance, did the astronauts shoot any closeups of the tether to equal the coverage of the tether as seen on video? Those photos, if they exist, would possibly clear the air as to the discs' reality. What would those photos show?

a reply to: JimOberg

The following still/screen capture is from STS-75 tether video. In the video when the curling cable is shown, an "object" is seen racing up on the right side of the tether. An invitation had been sent out to all of those nearby saying "You gotta come over and see what these dumb humans are up to now. Gather 'round and let's give 'em something to talk about. And remember to open your centers and show 'em a notch or two!"

a reply to: JimOberg

I don't know if you've been asked but what is your opinion on the discs? Unless you have a rock solid explanation which I've yet to read (please supply a link to your explanation if you've established one and have so posted), you must have thoughts which I'll appreciate you sharing. I ask you realizing that you've already asked your NASA contacts and you may have gotten a satisfactory answer but it's your thoughts that I'm really interested in.

originally posted by: Uggielicious
Objects closer to the camera that would be out of focus would not show "sharp" edges.

True, but nothing on the video has really well defined edges, that's one of the problems with this video.

The objects move with a purpose and some can be seen to change course, slightly.

OK, what's their purpose?

If the "discs" were close to the camera as you believe there would be no shapes, just white blobs that might resemble cotton balls, especially if the camera lens was focused for distance. Since the tether was approx. 19 miles away it doesn't make sense for a camera to be focused any closer. Distance results in sharpness.

I don't say that "discs" are close, I say "closer", as I don't have any idea of the distance but I think they are closer than the tether, as some people say that they "discs" pass behind the tether.

We'll never know what those disc-shapes were and whether they were really out there or in here (pointing to head).

I agree.

Luna Cognita has a video on YouTube showing the flight paths of all of the main discs. This video alone disproves the water dump explanation offered by another member.

How does that disprove the water dump explanation? One thing I noticed on that video (a nice work from Luna Cognita) is that the "discs" that change direction change from an upward direction to a downward one, we never see (as far as I remember) one changing from left to right or vice-versa.

a reply to: Uggielicious

At what distance was the tether on that occasion?

originally posted by: Uggielicious
a reply to: JimOberg

I'm adding the following to add a little fuel to the fire. I've stated that I disagree with those who propose that the discs seen in the video are the result of a water dump, or that the discs are close to the camera. Neither suggestion works when logic is employed. To repeat myself:
First, a water dump can be equaled to a shotgun firing. The pellets come out of a barrel and travel together in a straight path. Without earth's gravity they'll just keep going as a group....

I stopped reading here, when it was clear to me that your imaginary 'facts' were obsolete fantasies blocking your view of real space operations. It's unearthly out there, and you've got to strip out your earthside instincts. I wrote my "99 FAQs" for folks like you who might want to shift mental gears to fit into the rest of the universe. Only after you've done this will you have anything useful to contribute. Please step outwards and upward, we can help.

originally posted by: Uggielicious
a reply to: JimOberg

The following still/screen capture is from STS-75 tether video. In the video when the curling cable is shown, an "object" is seen racing up on the right side of the tether. An invitation had been sent out to all of those nearby saying "You gotta come over and see what these dumb humans are up to now. Gather 'round and let's give 'em something to talk about. And remember to open your centers and show 'em a notch or two!"

How long after the tether broke do you imagine the swarm showed up?

originally posted by: Uggielicious
..... Since the tether was approx. 19 miles away it doesn't make sense for a camera to be focused any closer. Distance results in sharpness.'......

What makes you think it was 19 miles away? Just guessing?

originally posted by: JimOberg
This image was actually already in the PAO files:

STS075-360-021 (22 Feb.- 9 March 1996) --- The loose tether forms a faint diagonal line in this scene recorded on a later fly-by. ….

It looks like the photos made from Earth a week or two later. But it does NOT look like the famous TV image.

The photo shows a straight-as-a-pin cable. The video shows it curling. How did the cable straighten without an opposing pull?

>>
If the "discs" were close to the camera as you believe there would be no shapes, just white blobs that might resemble cotton balls, especially if the camera lens was focused for distance.
>>

This is not true since out-of-focus objects, lights etc. are very often seen taking on the shape of the camera shutter/opening..the classic "diamond shaped UFO" comes to mind. TBH, an immense amount of really bad "UFO sightings" is exactly that, out of focus lights where people attribute a shape (disk etc.) where in my opinion it's CLEAR that whatever is in view is just a tiny dot extremely out of focus. ("UFO sightings" by people who lack an essential understanding of photography, optics etc....the worst kinds of "sightings")

As for "water drops"..whether they would freeze immediately I honestly don't know! (Would have to do research on that). But I *also* don't know what the "proper" movement patterns of drops or debris in space would be..I can very well see that debris/drops etc. floating in space may move in unusual ways..so simply from "analyzing" the footage I would not be able to say "No, this cannot be water!" simply since I never saw water floating in space : )

As far as I remember, those particles in the footage SEEM to move like what I would expect from drops/debris in space. (Or inside the shuttle in zero gravity).