Re: Mir or Atlantis?
Philip Chien (kc4yer@amsat.org)
Sun, 31 Mar 1996 07:38:42 -0400
Clement Drolet <76266.2530@compuserve.com> asks:
>I have just observed the Mir-Atlantis couple (Mar 29th 8h50 UT) they were
>separated by about 7-8 degrees. Am I correct in assuming that STS 76 was
>the leading one?
>
You are correct sir!
When you do an orbital change after leaving a space station it's a fairly
good assumption to make that you're on your way home. To go home you have
to go in to a lower orbit. (unless you have a really, really long distance
to travel home). When the shuttle in a lower orbit its move faster, so it
gradually moves ahead of the space station.
Of course if it was to stay up long enough for it to go half a world away
from Mir, then it would start to 'catch up' with it -- in terms of relative
problems.
>BTW they passed over a bright elongated fuzzy star ;-)...an impressive
>sight!
If you didn't take a photo then you're going to get shot! You do realize
that -- don't you?
DJLaszlo@aol.com said:
> However, on the previous STS-Mir mission, within a few hours of separation,
>Mir was clearly ahead of the Shuttle when it made its pass for us in
>Colorado.
err - not unless you were viewing it from a *really* strange angle (like
from above and upside down?) When the shuttle departs Mir the shuttle will
*ALWAYS* appear to be travelling ahead of Mir.
Philip Chien, Earth News - space writer and consultant PCHIEN@IDS.NET
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Roger, go at throttle up CHR$(32) the final frontier