That's because Ron has figured out how to keep his telescope trained on the shuttle as it orbits at about 17,000 miles per hour, about 175 miles overhead. Marek Kozulbal wrote. I met Ron at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Winston-Salem on June 10. He presented a talk about his satellite imaging efforts and displayed incredible images of the space shuttle and Mir. Detail and structure in large orbiting satellites like the space shuttle and Mir should theoretically be visible in small amateur-size telescopes.
Amateur astronomers observe detail on Jupiter all the time.
The problem with observing this detail in an orbiting satellite lies in keeping up with the fast-moving object long enough to get a good look. For an observer on the Earth's surface, such an object crosses the sky in less than five minutes. This creates incredible challenges in keeping a telescope magnifying 300 times centered on the satellite. But Ron and his friend Marek were up for the challenge. Using a special computer-controlled motorized telescope at the Boston Science Museum, they have written software to intercept an orbiting satellite when it appears overhead.