Space Shuttle Atlantis (02-08)

Every one of these launches are a triumph of science over obstacle.

I remember when I worked on Kwajalein and marveled at each Spartan and
Sprint launch back in the 1970's.

Pretty awesome stuff!

JT



DEEPNHOCK wrote:

> Shuttle went up safely today.
> Watched the launch on NASA TV and the Internet.
> Went out to see it go by.
> Couldn't see it during the boost phase (could see that at night)...
> But could see it as it passed by.
> Looked like a jet airliner without the contrail.
> A real, real FAST jet airliner <lol>..
> Considering I am 275 miles north of the Kennedy Space Center, that's a
> pretty good sight line.
> Jeff
> (But it was much better to watch when I lived 60 miles from the launch
> pad)
 >> Stay informed about: Space Shuttle Atlantis (02-08) 

I thought they launched to the East?


"DEEPNHOCK" <DEEPNHOCK.DeleteThis@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:739811b8-4391-4601-9ea4-761b82ed8388@f47g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...
> Shuttle went up safely today.
> Watched the launch on NASA TV and the Internet.
> Went out to see it go by.
> Couldn't see it during the boost phase (could see that at night)...
> But could see it as it passed by.
> Looked like a jet airliner without the contrail.
> A real, real FAST jet airliner <lol>..
> Considering I am 275 miles north of the Kennedy Space Center, that's a
> pretty good sight line.
> Jeff
> (But it was much better to watch when I lived 60 miles from the launch
> pad)
 >> Stay informed about: Space Shuttle Atlantis (02-08) 

Not when they are going to the ISS.
It has a more polar orbit, and they launch more to the northeast.
They fly right up the east coast.
Might be a Russian thing, because they used the same trajectory for
the Russian space station flights of a few years ago.
Jeff


> "ALEX M." wrote:
> I thought they launched to the East?
 >> Stay informed about: Space Shuttle Atlantis (02-08) 

(More info, and a better description...)

With the possible exception of a single HST servicing mission, the
Space Shuttle is now entirely dedicated to flights servicing the
International Space Station (ISS). ISS orbits in a specific "orbital
plane", which can be roughly visualized as a sheet of paper running
through the center of the Earth, and tipped at an angle of 51 degrees
from the equator, so that the paper forms a circle touching all lines
of latitude between 51N and 51S. This inclined orbit was chosen to
allow launches to ISS from both American and Russian launch sites
(although the Russian launch site is actually in Kazakhstan).

When the shuttle flies to ISS, the exact position of ISS in its orbit
is not terribly important, because it is relatively easy to shift an
orbiting shuttle forward or backward in the orbital plane. What
matters is the position of the orbital plane itself, because it is
quite difficult to change planes in space. Therefore, the Shuttle is
launched at the exact time when the Earth's rotation brings Cape
Canaveral through the imaginary sheet of paper that defines the ISS
orbital plane. This creates a very short launch window.

The shuttle's launch trajectory follows the path defined by that
imaginary sheet of paper, tipped 51 degrees to the equator. This path
takes the shuttle northeast along the East Coast of the United States.
(Technically, there is a second launch opportunity each day to the
southeast, but that trajectory cannot be used because the launch
trajectory would take the shuttle over populated regions of the
Caribbean during the launch process.)

When the shuttle launches at night, the launch is actually visible
throughout the Atlantic coastline. Main engine cutoff, eight minutes
after launch, happens off the New England shoreline
(end)


> > "ALEX M."  wrote:
> > I thought they launched to the East?- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
 >> Stay informed about: Space Shuttle Atlantis (02-08) 

Thanks, Very interesting.

"DEEPNHOCK" <DEEPNHOCK RemoveThis @gmail.com> wrote in message
news:185772ac-5676-4fba-b52a-aabea6eb93fd@l1g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...
> (More info, and a better description...)
>
> With the possible exception of a single HST servicing mission, the
> Space Shuttle is now entirely dedicated to flights servicing the
> International Space Station (ISS). ISS orbits in a specific "orbital
> plane", which can be roughly visualized as a sheet of paper running
> through the center of the Earth, and tipped at an angle of 51 degrees
> from the equator, so that the paper forms a circle touching all lines
> of latitude between 51N and 51S. This inclined orbit was chosen to
> allow launches to ISS from both American and Russian launch sites
> (although the Russian launch site is actually in Kazakhstan).
>
> When the shuttle flies to ISS, the exact position of ISS in its orbit
> is not terribly important, because it is relatively easy to shift an
> orbiting shuttle forward or backward in the orbital plane. What
> matters is the position of the orbital plane itself, because it is
> quite difficult to change planes in space. Therefore, the Shuttle is
> launched at the exact time when the Earth's rotation brings Cape
> Canaveral through the imaginary sheet of paper that defines the ISS
> orbital plane. This creates a very short launch window.
>
> The shuttle's launch trajectory follows the path defined by that
> imaginary sheet of paper, tipped 51 degrees to the equator. This path
> takes the shuttle northeast along the East Coast of the United States.
> (Technically, there is a second launch opportunity each day to the
> southeast, but that trajectory cannot be used because the launch
> trajectory would take the shuttle over populated regions of the
> Caribbean during the launch process.)
>
> When the shuttle launches at night, the launch is actually visible
> throughout the Atlantic coastline. Main engine cutoff, eight minutes
> after launch, happens off the New England shoreline
> (end)
>
>
>> > "ALEX M." wrote:
>> > I thought they launched to the East?- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
 >> Stay informed about: Space Shuttle Atlantis (02-08)