Re: Mir/shuttle undocking
Philip Chien (kc4yer@amsat.org)
Mon, 8 Jun 1998 01:00:44 -0400
"Sue J. Worden" <worden@uts.cc.utexas.edu> said:
>> Date: Sun, 7 Jun 1998 18:54:59 -0400
>> From: Philip Chien <kc4yer@amsat.org>
>> Subject: re: Mir/shuttle undocking
>> [ ... ]
>> But for this particular mission half a fly-around will be performed,
>> leaving the shuttle above Mir when separation occurs.
>
> I don't know about the part where Discovery might be doing a
> negative r-bar maneuver from above Mir :-) but my newspaper
> carried an AP article this morning,
now haven't I told you enough about believing what you read from the press? ;-)
Actually both AP reporters were sitting with me when Domminic Gorie
explained the flyaround to us, and Marcia's pretty good at getting her
facts straight.
> which said that a second
> leak test on Spektr (using a green fluorescent gas) would be
> performed tomorrow after separation, with Discovery 240 feet
> away and relative orientation favorable for shuttle astronauts
> to monitor the parts of Spektr that couldn't be monitored from
> inside Mir or Discovery during the first leak test yesterday.
The way Dom explained it is imagine a clock with Mir at the center, and the
shuttle going down from the center to the six o'clock location. (Those of
you with digital clocks will need a really good imagination ...)
The shuttle will go up to the 9 o'clock location and wait there, at the
same altitude as Mir. When the sun angle's correct the gas will be
released in to Spektr.
Then the shuttle will proceed up to 12 o'clock for its departure from Mir.
So if NASA's clock works correctly the entire thing should last about six
hours. ;-)
While the shuttle's flying Mir will rotates to present Spektr to Mir at the
best angle to view the gas as it expands through the leak area.
Philip Chien, KC4YER
Earth News
world (in)famous writer, science fiction fan, ham radio operator,
all-around nice guy, etc.