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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Virgin Galactic VSS Enterprise Test flight Video

cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/05/18/6671329-watch-a-spaceship-do-the-twist

There are a couple of cool things about this flight.

First, how the wings on the aircraft articulate, causing it to slow down without stressing the craft:

The video shows SpaceShipTwo, also known as the VSS Enterprise, being released from its White Knight Two carrier airplane. Then the plane's wings fold up to create a "shuttlecock" shape that can fall freely through the atmosphere, shedding energy without flipping over or spinning wildly. Eventually, the wings are folded back down, turning the craft into a glider that rolls to a stop at California's Mojave Air and Space Port.

But second...

I'm digging the photography.

The target is dead on and clear throughout the flight. Perhaps it's computer controlled - similar to facial recognition on digital cameras. What ever it is, NASA should use it.

[RobbW]

That right there is pretty cool!

[Paulie pchris00]

Cool and all, but suborbital flight went out of style after Gus Grissom.

(Not a shot at Gus).

[skyluvr]

Yes, cool photography Joe. Check this out. Optical tracking with the LX200 and Celestron goto mounts.

www.optictracker.com/Home.html

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Skylvr,

That tracker is cool.

Our members with go-to scopes, should investigate this and perhaps capture some good ISS imagery.

Mine, with no go-to, I don't think will work with such a program.

Thanks for posting!