If a spacecraft is 10 miles directly above a space station, how would you get it down for rendezvous and doc?

Similar questions: spacecraft 10 miles directly space station rendezvous doc.

That depends a lot on the current orbits of the spacecraft and the space station It is common for flight directors to place objects into circular orbits for constant speeds and other reasons. It must also be assumed that the space craft has the same orbit inclination and orientation as the space station, to make the rendezvous easier. Linking up a spacecraft in polar orbit with a spacestation in equitorial orbit would take a lot of fuel.

Since these orbits are concentric circles just 10 miles a part, the most common maneuver is called the Holman Transfer. The spacecraft is in the outer orbit, and so it fires its rockets to slow down just enough that its orbit decays to the same altitude as space station in exactly one have of its orbit. After that one half orbit, the spacecraft will have the same altitude as the spacestation, but more speed.

The spacecraft then fires its rockets to slow down again to match the space station's orbit and velocity. This must be timed when the spacecraft is in the correct position relative to the space station. The image below shows a transfer to an outer orbit, but the theory can be reversed to transfer to an inner orbit.

I hope this helps. Sources: absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Hohmann_tra... .

Math You can't efficiently do it by guesswork, so you have to resort to math. Guessing would suggest you just aim at the space station and fire your thrusters toward it, then when you're halfway there, reverse thrust to the rest of the way so you don't bang into it! But no, that does not work very well from most angles, because if you increase your "forward" speed, you will balloon out into a larger orbit.

Same thing if you're aiming "upwards"-- you will go higher but as a consequence, also slower, so you'll fall behind your target. The optimum way is called a "Holmann" trajectory, which uses just enough thrust and angle to get your two paths to intersect, usually half an orbit away. Richard Feynman could calculate these in his head.

You'll probably need a little program.

1 The space station, like the Space Shuttle are in a constant state of freefall because they do not have the thrust capability to reach escape velocity. So essentially, you just wait until your orbit decays enough to the point where you can dock.

The space station, like the Space Shuttle are in a constant state of freefall because they do not have the thrust capability to reach escape velocity. So essentially, you just wait until your orbit decays enough to the point where you can dock.

2 You fire the bow thrusters to slow down and drop to the station's level and the aft thrusters to catch up.

You fire the bow thrusters to slow down and drop to the station's level and the aft thrusters to catch up.

Manimal replied to post #2: 3 Actually, you have to slow down twice. Once to reach the lower orbit, and once to maintain that lower orbit. If you don't slow down again, you will pass the station.

You will be in an elliptical (not circular) orbit that touches both the inner and outer orbits. If you speed up instead of slowing down after reaching the lower orbit, your orbit will become even more elliptical and it will reach out farther than the original outer orbit before it comes back into the inner orbit.

Actually, you have to slow down twice. Once to reach the lower orbit, and once to maintain that lower orbit. If you don't slow down again, you will pass the station.

You will be in an elliptical (not circular) orbit that touches both the inner and outer orbits. If you speed up instead of slowing down after reaching the lower orbit, your orbit will become even more elliptical and it will reach out farther than the original outer orbit before it comes back into the inner orbit.

" "Tell me about Space Viz please. " "how long does the space station take to orbit the earth" "OK! So the Space Station was without their ONLY bathroom for awhile.

What DID the Astronauts do? " "are there female astronauts on the space station?" "What is the purpose of the space station? " "Who will man the space station now that there will be no more shuttle trips?

If you had a space that was yours and yours alone...

How long does the space station take to orbit the earth.

OK! So the Space Station was without their ONLY bathroom for awhile. What DID the Astronauts do?

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