Linked Questions
24 questions linked to/from How could a 90 m/s delta-v be enough to commit the space shuttle to landing?
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What was the typical perigee after a shuttle de-orbit burn? [duplicate]
What was the typical1 (theoretical) perigee after a shuttle de-orbit burn?
I say 'theoretical' given that presumably the orbiter would already have undergone further deceleration before it reaches ...
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Why were the Space Shuttle's main engines placed on the orbiter?
Since the main engines can't be used after external tank separation, what's the reason for having the engines on the orbiter rather than just building a third rocket on the stack instead of the ...
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Why does the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket do a 180 flip for reentry?
I am very new to the rockets and this can be a very dumb question,
just that I am not sure if my understanding here is right?
All of the rockets engines are at bottom which help it take off and ...
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If the Space Shuttle missed its landing approach, what could have been done?
As I understand it, the Space Shuttle was essentially a glider when it was coming back to land, and the engines were not there to facilitate powered flight.
So what was the procedure, had the Space ...
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What eliminates the velocity when occupants return from ISS to earth, and how much?
The ISS has an orbital velocity of ~28000 km/h; the velocity $v$ relative to the landing site of the descent module is probably even higher than that most of the time. Once the occupants have landed, ...
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Why doesn't JWST use ion thrusters?
Since the L2 point is unstable, JWST needs engines to maintain its orbit. It uses mono-propellant engines which have given it a 5-year minimum lifespan.
Why weren't ion engines used instead? Wouldn't ...
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How hard do you have to throw something off the ISS to make it deorbit?
During Expedition 41 Reid Wiseman and Alexander Gerst replaced a failed pump on the outside of the ISS. I am guessing they took the broken pump back inside the ISS and returned it to earth in one of ...
user23164
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Why is the X-37B's large nozzle offset to right from the spacecraft's mid-plane?
Perhaps I'm naive to think that the single large nozzle at the back of the X-37B is a nozzle for an engine, but regardless of the purpose, gas exiting from a nozzle will produce thrust. Is the X-37B's ...
- 151k
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How did the Space Shuttle keep its cryogenic fuel cold?
As I understand it, the Space Shuttle used cryogenic fuel in its main engines and it kept a supply onboard for the duration of its mission for a deorbit burn. Since Space Shuttle missions often lasted ...
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Is getting IN or OUT of orbit easier for the Space Shuttle? [closed]
Here is a brief dramatic of the Space Shuttle launch and reentry:
Launch :
You get on this plane like thing that is strapped to an orange fuel tank that looks more like a huge bomb.
The fuel tank is ...
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Aborting a de-orbit maneuver
I was contemplating on how a de-orbit may be abandoned post completion of the orbit burn, say, from LEO. A situation in which this might be necessary would be detecting a breach in the heat shield ...
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What happens to orbit after a radial burn?
We know from Hohmann or bi-elliptic transfer maneuvers that a burn in the tangential direction of an orbit changes the radius of the orbit.
But what happens to an object in orbit, when there is a burn ...
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Orbit stability
This is my first question. I am a space enthusiast but I don't have a formal understanding of celestial mechanics, so I would like to ask how stable against perturbation an orbit is, given the ...
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Circular to elliptical orbit delta V requirements
this might be a dumb question, but i've been recently trying to calculate the delta V to deorbit a satellite, and I've run into a problem. Assuming a 400km circular starting orbit(and disregarding ...
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Deriving the changes in Keplerian Elements induced by small impulses
I'm trying to make derive a concise table of the effects on each Keplerian orbital element for a small impulse in the Radial, Tangential, or Perpendicular direction at periapsis or apoapsis, good to ...
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