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NSS/Western Spaceport Chapter
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are those "weird lights' in the sky?
While outdoors one evening I saw some weird lights of various colors in the skies over the western horizon; Did something blow up? -- John Harris, Bakersfield, CA
Those "weird lights" occasionally seen in the sky by people during pre-dawn or early evening hours above Southern California and the surrounding Western States are not UFOs, space aliens, nuclear attacks or the latest sign of the Apocalypse -- but more likely the tell-tale sign of yet another rocket launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Santa Barbara county. This visual apparition is more commonly known as "Twilight Phenomenon."
Twilight Phenomenon is produced when unburned missile or rocket propellant particles and water vapor left in the exhaust trail of a launch condenses and crystalizes in the less dense upper atmosphere. These fragments in turn reflect light from a just setting or rising sun that's still below the Earth's horizon, producing the spectacular, colorful effects when seen from the ground in outlying areas from Vandenberg AFB. The phenomenon's appearance varies with viewer location, but can usually be seen throughout the state of California, and as far away as Arizona, Nevada and Utah. On the East Coast, similar sightings can be observed during twilight launches of space shuttles and other expendable launch vehicles from NASA's Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Base in Florida.
Twilight Phenomenon typically produces green, blue, white and rose-colored clouds which take on a corkscrew appearance as they are whipped around and twisted by wind currents. They can be seen two to three minutes after a launch, and can remain in the sky for over a half hour before dispersing. Twilight Phenomena most often occur with a launch within 30 to 60 minutes after sunset or before sunrise as the space boosters rise out of the darkness and into the sunlight. Since 1958, Vandenberg has launched nearly 1,800 missiles and space launch vehicles -- but only a small number of those have created the Twilight Phenomenon.
Some observers have assumed -- incorrectly -- that the phenomenon is the product of a missile or rocket malfunction, but these events are not linked.
Is it one boom or two?
How come when the space shuttle lands, I hear a double sonic boom, but when I hear other military aircraft from Edwards or China Lake "punch a hole in the sky," I only hear one sonic boom? -- Bob F. Devlin, Tehachapi, CA
Actually, all high-performance aircraft make a double-sonic boom -- just like the distinctive sound made by a returning space shuttle. The sonic boom is generated first by the nose and leading edge of the wings, and then once again by the trailing edge of the wings and/or verticle stabilizer (tail) of the aircraft or space shuttle.
The problem is, most people don't hear the double sonic booms made by military aircraft like the F-14 Tomcat, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Falcon or F-18 Hornet, because they are relatively small.
In comparison, the much larger space shuttle is the size of a MD-80 commercial airliner. If you listen closely enough, you'll hear a double sonic boom made by NASA's SR-71 Blackbirds the next time they fly over the Mojave Desert on their high-altitude research flights.
Why does Space Exploration cost so much?
I got to tell you, I'm a little concerned where my hard-earned tax dollars are going (I'm a minimum wage teen saving up for college). The U.S. is spending hundreds of billions of dollars on space exploration when we've got other problems we should be taking care of first (the homeless, the environment, social security, education). How can you justify yourselves? -- Jennifer McKenney, Santa Barbara, CA
Well, first, it's easy to believe at face value the costs associated with opening the space frontier is expensive -- but efforts are being made to reduce the financial burden by shifting to private ventures instead of taxpayer-funded support.Nevertheless, as far as government spending is concerned, when put up against other federal programs (especially in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and the declared "War on Terror"), NASA's yearly budget really amounts to pennies on your tax dollar -- 7/10th's of one cent for each tax dollar, to be exact:
It should also be noted that NASA's operating budget for FY2002 marks its first real increase after seven straight years of budget reductions. However, this increase is barely above current inflation rates when everything else is factored in to "The Big Picture."
However, the "hundreds of billions of dollars" you mentioned being spent by NASA on exploration, research and development of the space frontier has been spread out over a 40+ year period: $278.4 billion from 1958-2000 -- an average of $6.6 billion per year (source: Air Force magazine). That comes nowhere close to what is spent in a single year on National Defense, Social Security, or Medicare/Medicaid.
As another example, contrast the costs for building the International Space Station (roughly $97 billion over the next 10-15 years) to the operating budget for the state of California for ONE year (2001-02) at $103.3 billion.
In California alone, $32.4 billion -- or nearly twice NASA's budget -- is dedicated for K-12 education, with another $9.9 billion going toward UC, State University and Community Colleges (source: Los Angeles Times, July 27, 2001).
In comparison, a June 25, 1999 article in the Los Angeles Times reported that American teenagers like yourself collectively spent $141 BILLION in 1998 (that's just ONE year, Jennifer!) on everything from Clothing to Food and Snacks, Movies and Entertainment, Gas and Cars, Jewelry and Cosmetics, Hobbies and Savings, etc. (sources: Rand-Youth Poll, DuPont, U.S. Census Bureau).
The fact is, you probably spent more on one "Extra Value Meal" and a night out at the movies with your friends than you'll shell out as a taxpayer for NASA's budget this year.
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