Linked Questions
11 questions linked to/from The strange orbit of Ofeq 11 - how does it (actually) do this?
26
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Why use a retrograde orbit?
I've been looking around and saw
on What is the highest inclination orbit ever attained from a Cape Canaveral launch? a question about launching into retrograde orbit. Of course, due to range safety ...
18
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1
answer
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Why is 51.8° inclination standard for Soyuz?
Soyuz flights are mostly around 51.8° inclination, and the Soyuz manual gives this as a reference value. Why is 51.8° the standard inclination? That's not the latitude of Baikonur, and I couldn't find ...
12
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2
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How (the heck) are military satellites with (apparently) classified TLEs still showing up on sat map websites?
As I first noted in this comment I couldn't get TLEs for the recently launched OFEQ-11 spy satellites from space-track.com. When I looked at Search Resuls: OFEQ 11 Satellite details 2016-056A NORAD ...
7
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2
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Negative impact of having the launch pad away from the Equator
I imagine a satellite meant for reaching a geostationary orbit will benefit most from it, but being near the Equator is surely an advantage to any space launch (right?).
However, what's the impact ...
10
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2
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996
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How are retrograde orbits attained?
If a satellite is to be inserted into a retrograde orbit (opposite to Earth rotation direction) is it accelerated straight in the desired "westwards" direction until (after overcoming Earth rotation ...
5
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1
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Are we changing Earth's rotation?
Can rockets launching change Earth's rotation, and can going into orbit do the same?
8
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1
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843
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Are there any dog-leg hot-spots? Where are dog-leg maneuvers used most frequently?
Dog-leg maneuvers are nicely explained in @JakeBlocker's excellent answer. If you go there now (and hopefully come back here) you can see a diagram of a dog-leg maneuver along with a comparison to an ...
5
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3
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Are there terms for Earth orbits with rational number multiples of 1 sidereal day?
An Earth orbit with a period of 1 sidereal day (and zero inclination) is a geosynchronous orbit, orbits slightly above and below that are supersynchronous and subsynchronous orbits, and a Molniya ...
2
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1
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Satellite Launch Direction
Most rockets hoping to achieve earth orbit are launched West -> East and from near the equator to gain maximum advantage from the spin of the Earth.
I know the launches often also are deliberately ...
3
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1
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What forces a spacecraft, returning from Earth orbit, to synchronize with Earth spin?
This seems like a banal question, but the more I think about it, the less I understand the mechanics of it. Does the progressively denser atmosphere pick up the spacecraft and carries it along the ...
1
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0
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Why no Ofeqs between 11 and 16?
Wikipedia's Ofeq; Launch History lists Ofeq 1 through 11 and then 16. It does not mention a 12, 13, 14 or 15. Were they so stealthily launched that nobody knows about them, or skipped, had non-Ofeq ...