61–70 of 109 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
My understanding is it’s on an offset elliptical orbit. This is essentially the farthest point away from earth with the other end of orbit being very close to Earth. From a tactical perspective, that means this can interact with basically any other satellite.
Interact as in fly-by repair? Or interact as in interfere/tamper/destroy?
Why might it be desirable to have an observation craft so far away from the earth? I'm having a hard time imagining the advantage compared to being a bit closer, unless it's a more energy-efficient parking situation while the vehicle isn't in active use.
"Why might it be desirable to have an observation craft so far away from the earth?" more range the merrier in case there is alien invasion. you would need aircraft that allow travel interplanetary system
Earlier quoted context omitted.
My understanding is it’s on an offset elliptical orbit. This is essentially the farthest point away from earth with the other end of orbit being very close to Earth. From a tactical perspective, that means this can interact with basically any other satellite.
Interact as in fly-by repair? Or interact as in interfere/tamper/destroy?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
With a far point so far away from Earth it also means that it requires only tiny amounts of fuel for major orbit changes.
My orbital mechanics is (like most people) weak, is this intended as a generalized physical threat to other satellites?
These types of orbits also have the property that the perceived loiter time is different for the perigee and apogee.
At perigee (closest to Earth) it will be moving very fast and so any changes to velocity will have a large impact (easily change orbit).
While at apogee it will appear to sit in space and move quite slowly. As an example this is used for the Russian GPS system so their satellites can sit in high earth latitudes for longer needing fewer satellites to cover Russia.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
"Why might it be desirable to have an observation craft so far away from the earth?" more range the merrier in case there is alien invasion. you would need aircraft that allow travel interplanetary system
I think he was asking for real tangible uses.
Why might it be desirable to have an observation craft so far away from the earth? I'm having a hard time imagining the advantage compared to being a bit closer, unless it's a more energy-efficient parking situation while the vehicle isn't in active use.
Lower orbit = faster velocity.
So your screaming by over Emutopia's enrichment plant, and trying to take photos.
Telephotography might be an easier solve than faster image capture for the same resolution and clarity. A higher orbit means you have to do less drastic tracking corrections to observe the same area while over it.
Alternative: it's a space plane and has been mentioned it uses aero braking for orbital adjustments. A highly elliptical orbit imparts a significant chunk of potential energy that can be expended for orbital changes using aero braking instead of needing to expend limited propellent.
Source: personal experience with several hundred hours of KSP.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
As well as change orbital characteristics (apogee, perigee, inclination) at reasonably low cost, enabling closer observation of specific portions of Earth, or of objects in space. Burns at closest approach (perigee) have the largest influence on total orbital characteristics. Burns at furthest approach (apogee) can raise the entire orbit if desired. (Or so I understand.)
Burns at perigee have best efficiency to make in-plane changes (raise or lower orbit) due to the Oberth effect. Burns at apogee have best efficiency for out-of-plane maneuvers (change orbital inclination plane) due to lowest velocity of the spacecraft. Highly elliptical orbits can do both at a few hours' notice.
Given the military heritage of the Space Shuttle, I imagine this is what a hypothetical next generation civilian Space Shuttle might have looked like, too.
Are there any books to read that talk about the military missions of the Space Shuttle?
How does it have enough Delta-V to get into that distant of an orbit? Is it able to maneuver to different orbits and inclination? Is it able to return to earth? Or, is it more of a satellite than a “plane”? This is my first time learning about this space plane, so apologies if my questions are naive.
This flight was launched with a Falcon Heavy, that is why it has more energy to reach high orbit than the previous launches with an Atlas V booster. When you are in a highly eccentric orbit (meaning the point in the orbit farthest from Earth (apogee) is much higher than the lowest point (perigee)) like this one there are several maneuvers you can do to significantly change your orbit with relatively little energy. Th…
As an aside, it's sad about KSP2. We need a good, open-source space simulator in the spirit of KSP, which has incredible enthusiasm in the modding community.
How does it have enough Delta-V to get into that distant of an orbit? Is it able to maneuver to different orbits and inclination? Is it able to return to earth? Or, is it more of a satellite than a “plane”? This is my first time learning about this space plane, so apologies if my questions are naive.
It has been to space several times, and there are photos and videos of it returning, shuttle-style on a runway. By carefully timing boosting burns at different points in the orbit, you can change the orbit to become highly inclined - go prograde at the periapsis, and your raise the apogee. From the image, I guess they are in a Molniar orbit [1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molniya_orbit