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Science Forum Index » Space - Shuttle Forum » Space station sinks to new low - but it's OK
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| Jim Oberg |
 Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 5:37 pm |
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Space station sinks to new low - but it's OK
NASA says that's part of its plan for finishing the orbital outpost
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17630218/
By James Oberg, NBC News space analyst // Special to MSNBC
HOUSTON - The international space station has been literally falling out
of the
sky, according to NASA tracking data obtained by MSNBC.com. Under the
inexorable
decay of air drag, its orbital path around Earth has slipped down to 207
miles
(332 kilometers), the lowest average altitude in the nine-year life of the
project.
A small rocket engine on a docked cargo ship is being fired this week to
boost
the orbit by a small amount. But since the orbit is continually dropping at
about 300 feet (90 meters) per day, the boost will be eaten up by the
effects of
air drag within several weeks.
A graph released by NASA shows that the gradual decline began in earnest
after
the loss of shuttle Columbia in early 2003. Prior to that disaster, the
altitude
had been maintained at a fairly high level, thanks mainly to reboosts from
visiting shuttles. Since that event, all reboosts have been the
responsibility
of Russian spacecraft.
However alarming the line on the graph might appear to be, NASA orbital
trajectory experts insist that the station's orbit is under control. They
say
the decline is part of a long-range plan for the current phase of orbital
assembly that involves particularly heavy payloads for shuttle missions.
They say the orbit is still stable, and scheduled Russian reboost rocket
firings
will not allow it to decay any further. And beginning late next year, when
the
delivery of the station's heaviest structural elements will be completed,
the
orbit will be reboosted to greater and greater altitudes. |
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| hallerb@aol.com |
| Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 9:41 pm |
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| John Doe |
| Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 12:08 am |
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In related news, NASA has announced it will fit the station with a powerful ship
fog horn. As its orbit drops, there will come a point where it will have to use
its fog horn to warn buildings and mountains to move aside if they don't want to
be in the station's path.  |
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| Brian Thorn |
| Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 11:01 am |
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On Fri, 16 Mar 2007 01:08:18 -0400, John Doe <jdoe@doe.org> wrote:
Quote: In related news, NASA has announced it will fit the station with a powerful ship
fog horn. As its orbit drops, there will come a point where it will have to use
its fog horn to warn buildings and mountains to move aside if they don't want to
be in the station's path.
AH-HOOO-GAH
"MAKE A HOLE! COMIN' THROUGH..." |
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| Greg D. Moore (Strider) |
| Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 11:50 am |
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"Brian Thorn" <bthorn64@cox.net> wrote in message
news:3pflv2tivlup9cu5smvrt06lv2qifg4p6g@4ax.com...
Quote: On Fri, 16 Mar 2007 01:08:18 -0400, John Doe <jdoe@doe.org> wrote:
In related news, NASA has announced it will fit the station with a
powerful ship
fog horn. As its orbit drops, there will come a point where it will have
to use
its fog horn to warn buildings and mountains to move aside if they don't
want to
be in the station's path. :-)
AH-HOOO-GAH
"MAKE A HOLE! COMIN' THROUGH..."
I can see this now.
http://www.snopes.com/military/lighthse.htm
--
Greg Moore
SQL Server DBA Consulting
Email: sql (at) greenms.com http://www.greenms.com |
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| Guest |
| Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 3:19 pm |
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As long as they manage to avoid the outter SAA contour, that's all
that matters, that is unless there's not enough fuel as to reboost
that big old sucker back to 375+ km.
-
Brad Guth |
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| Herb Schaltegger |
| Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 3:38 pm |
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On Fri, 16 Mar 2007 15:19:20 -0500, bradguth@gmail.com wrote
(in article <1174076360.672019.289260@n59g2000hsh.googlegroups.com>):
Quote: As long as they manage to avoid the outter SAA contour, that's all
that matters, that is unless there's not enough fuel as to reboost
that big old sucker back to 375+ km.
-
Brad Guth
Change your email address again? Why don't you spend that effort on getting
your meds regulated instead?
<PLONK>
--
You can run on for a long time,
Sooner or later, God'll cut you down.
~Johnny Cash |
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| hallerb@aol.com |
| Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 4:08 pm |
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On Mar 16, 3:38�pm, Herb Schaltegger
<herb.schalteg...@gmail.com.INVALID> wrote:
Quote: On Fri, 16 Mar 2007 15:19:20 -0500, bradg...@gmail.com wrote
(in article <1174076360.672019.289...@n59g2000hsh.googlegroups.com>):
As long as they manage to avoid the outter SAA contour, that's all
that matters, that is unless there's not enough fuel as to reboost
that big old sucker back to 375+ km.
-
Brad Guth
Change your email address again? Why don't you spend that effort on getting
your meds regulated instead?
PLONK
--
You can run on for a long time,
Sooner or later, God'll cut you down.
~Johnny Cash
You know a nice evacuated station dropping into the pacific would
solve LOTS of troubles:)
Shuttle budget now zero, better use $$ for CEV
No more risky shuttle flights.
This nice low orbits also easier for terrorists. |
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| Guest |
| Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 11:28 pm |
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On Mar 16, 12:38 pm, Herb Schaltegger
<herb.schalteg...@gmail.com.INVALID> wrote:
Quote: Change your email address again? Why don't you spend that effort on getting
your meds regulated instead?
Always had this email, but then unlike yourself, at least I'm a real
person.
Why are you insider folks always so upset?
-
Brad Guth |
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| Guest |
| Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 11:32 pm |
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