More about DARPA's Transformer (TX) program (see earlier item): Textron and Carter Aviation or Lockheed Martin Might Build DARPAs Flying Hummer - NextBigFuture - Aug.29.10.

I've been following developments at Carter Aviation for years and it's nice to see them getting this contract. Here is a video about their rotor vehicle technologies:

A profile of a skywatcher involved in tracking the US military's X-37B spaceplane: International Team Tracking Experimental Space Plane - NewsOn6.com (Tulsa, OK) - Aug.28.10 (via spacetoday.net). Check out this this recent article about unexpected changes in the X-37B's orbit.

Ian Musgrave provides a tutorial on how to see "flares" when sunlight strikes the solar panels of Iridium satellites at just the right angle to your location: Ian's Guide to Photographing Iridium Flares - Astroblog - July.1.10.

Find more information on Iridium Flares in the Satellite Observing section.

Phil Plait points to telescope image taken by amateur astronomer Anthony Ayiomamitis during daylight that shows the ISS in some detail while also including Jupiter in the background: Amazing shot of ISS and Jupiter - during daytime! - Bad Astronomy/Discover Magazine - May.30.10.

More about the images at Astrophotography by Anthony Ayiomamitis.

Recently the X-37B spceplane was tracked and imaged by amateur satellite observers. Here is an article about the possible capture of an image of a US spy satellite: Amateur astronomer spies on spy satellites - Bad Astronomy/Discover Magazine - May.28.10.

I mentioned earlier that amateur spacecraft observers had spotted and tracked the US military's X-37B spaceplane, which was launched in April. Now comes word that an amateur astronomer has managed to capture an image of the vehicle in orbit: Amateur Astronomer Images X37-B Space Plane in Orbit - Universe Today - May.28.10.

Though rather blurry, it's still a remarkable feat from someone's backyard.

The image below comes from the Space Weather site and shows a track of the X-37B in an image made by amateur sky observer "Gary O." in Texas on May 24, 201.



More about the X-37B tracking:
/--Secret US spaceplane spotted in orbit by hobbyists - The Register - May.24.10
/-- X-37B Orbit Data - Heavens Above

Tough to hide from those amateur satellite observers these days" Secret X-37B Space Plane Spotted by Amateur Skywatchers - SPACE.com - May.22.10

Thierry Legault , spacecraft observer extraordinaire, has done it again. This time with an amazing photo of the ISS and the Shuttle Atlantis crossing in front of the sun: Wow! Shuttle and Space Station Photographed Crossing the Sun - SPACE.com - May.20.10

Update: May.22.10: Alan Boyle provides more about the pictures: Spaceships get day in the sun - Cosmic Log/msnbc.com.

Thierry Legault makes amazingly sharp images of orbiting spacecraft and has now posted a 3D (via the cross-eye method) video of the ISS: - International Space Station - 3D video.

Check out Hidden Sky: Augmented Reality for the iPhone. A message about the program says that Hidden Sky is

a first of its kind augmented reality app for the iPhone that lets you track any of the more than thousand satellites that orbit the Earth, the planets, and other objects in the sky. Track the Hubble Space Telescope, the ISS, or recently newsworthy satellites like the Galaxy 15 or CubeSat XI-V through the sky; you'll see their orbits fade in and out into the past and future. You can even watch a newly launched spacecraft dock with the ISS above you, like we show in the video below:

Hidden Sky is astrodynamically correct; its orbit propagation parameters are obtained from NORAD. It's a cut above "dish pointing" apps that only support geostationary satellites, and with the inclusion of the Sun, Moon, and planets, Hidden Sky bridges the gap between astronomy and satellite tracking.

Our app opens up new possibilities for space education. The augmented reality experience provides an exciting way for people to learn about satellites and our solar system. Besides seeing pertinent information like a satellite's position, you can watch that satellite move across the sky, bringing those numbers to life. Space professionals and enthusiasts alike could benefit from seeing satellites in this entirely new way.

The ISS and Shuttle Endeavour will both be brightly visible for many observers on earth on Sunday morning: Spot the space station and shuttle together - Space.com/msnbc.com - Feb.19.10.

SpaceWeather.com has links on its homepage today to several images made by amateur observers this morning of the two spacecraft. See, e.g. A magnificent view of the Space Shuttle Endeavour STS-130 and the ISS in tandem! - SatTrackCam Leiden station.

To check for viewing information for your location for Sunday, check
/-- http://spaceweather.com/flybys/
/-- www.heavens-above.com

Here's a video taken by a ground telescope of the ISS flying over Kennedy Space Center: Video: Space Station Flyover -The Daily Planet/Air & Space Mag.

More on spacecraft and ISS sightings at home in the Satellite Observing section here.

Here's a nice introduction on how and when to spot the International Space Station flying over your location: Space Station - Cumbrian Sky - Sept.13.09.

Check out the beautiful pictures by Thierry Legault of the ISS, with one of a Space Shuttle docked to it, transiting across the face of the sun: Photo: Docked Space Shuttle and Station Cross the Sun - Wired.com.

US residents should check times for passes of the ISS over their locations this weekend: NASA: Expect 'Spectacular' Views of Space Station This Weekend - SPACE.com - June.30.09. More info on spotting the ISS and other satellites in the Satellite Observation section.

Here's a review of a book that describes an early example of amateurs participating in a serious space activity: Book Review: Keep Watching the Skies - Universe Today - June.29.09. The book Keep Watching the Skies!: The Story of Operation Moonwatch and the Dawn of the Space Age is describes as follows by Publishers Weekly:

McCray, professor of history at the Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, has previously written about "big science" in Giant Telescopes: Astronomical Ambition & the Promise of Technology. Here, he examines "small science" at the dawn of the space age: Project Moonwatch, in which groups of non-scientist volunteers dutifully observed the passage of artificial satellites in the sky. The project's mastermind, astronomer Fred Whipple, intended to provide a manual backup for the automated camera system that was meant to track satellites, a huge, multi-national science effort. At a time when very little was known about the ionosphere and upper atmosphere, armchair astronomers of all backgrounds turned out in the thousands to aid the scientific pursuit of knowledge (and, to a lesser extent, fight the Commies); when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957, it was the Moonwatchers who provided the first observations to astronomers at the Smithsonian Astronomical Observatory. McCray's history is full of fascinating individuals-not only Whipple, a legend among scientists for his energy and creative engineering, but "citizen heroes" as well. McCray has included a useful bibliography, and a helpful list of acronyms and people, but his text is jargon-free. This pop science takes a fascinating look at a fundamental, and almost-forgotten, moment in Space Age history.

See the Satellite Observing section here for how you can do spacecraft observations today from your backyard.

Here's an article about how to observe the flashes produced by the Sun's reflection from Iridium satellites: Reflections from Space: Spot Iridium Flares - SPACE.com - June.28.09.

Find more info in the Iridium Flares section in HobbySpace: Satellite Observing.

Twisst.nl offers a service that will tweet you when the ISS is going to fly over your location: Spot the Space Station: Twitter Tells You When - SPACE.com - June.26.09. You just have to follow the Twisst account to get the notices. They explain here how they determine your location.

More ISS observing info here.

A brief tutorial on observing orbiting spacecraft like the ISS: How to Spot Satellites - SPACE.com - June.19.09.

Find additional information in the HobbySpace Satellite Observing section.

I've often posted here about how to see the ISS passing overhead at night. Now it has gotten so big and bright, it can even be spotted during the daytime: ISS Now Visible in Daytime! - Universe Today - June.17.09.