On Sunday, a group of amateur astronomers in San Antonio fired a one-watt blue laser up at the ISS and scored a direct hit, a first in ISS history. And instead of getting hunted down and arrested (which is what usually happens when you shoot lasers at flying things owned by the Feds), they got a congratulatory email from an astronaut.
Don Pettit, one of the lucky few up on the ISS, has been working with the San Antonio Astronomical Association for weeks to try and help them flash the ISS with a laser from the ground. Successfully doing this involves having a bright enough laser that’s properly focused, knowing exactly where to point it and when, tracking the station as it moves, and most importantly, having an astronaut standing by on the station looking out a window with a camera.
via DVICE
March 7, 2012
