Will NASA cause a shuttle "accident" to distract from election, etc.??!!

reply to post by Mercenary2007


Yes, but how MUCH lower. To change a trajectory by +20 degrees is an awful lot when dealing with the momentum generated by a shuttle the size of either at the speed. ...

Actually, I'll scratch the above statement and the post before it.

With precision timing and course adjustment you could simply change your hubble orbitting plane before you got there. Then you could use minimal burn to correct your course quite drastically, if need be. Problem would come with bringing the first shuttle into a parallel orbit, as it would almost certainly require a prolonged burn to angle downward at a nearly 45 degree angle. The G-forces would be incredible, even in such a limited gravitational area.

BTW guys, last night I made a comment that I have since tried to go back and edit, but I can't any longer. It was inappropriate and I apologize to anyone it may have offended.

For it to work Nasa would have to have it planned down to the second. Atlantis would be at the higher altitude when endeavour launched so Atlantis would have to get back to just above the shuttles standard orbit Endeavour would have to insert into that standard orbit then maneuver up to atlantis. Once the crew was safe they would have to time a burn that would allow them to chase down the ISS like they normally would.

Inserting to the standard shuttle orbit would allow Endeavour to chase the ISS with the least amount of fuel Burn.

To be honest i think the U.S. economy is going to crash before Atlantis even launches Negating The need to use a shuttle to stop the elections. And like i said earlier the only entity i see benefiting from Nasa being closed down is the air force so they can control everything launched into space from the U.S.

man this has to be a sight in person both Pads loaded with Shuttles.

reply to post by Mercenary2007



Man, that is a FANTASTIC photo! I could only imagine seeing that in person. Imagine a twin-launch! Holy Smokes!

I don't think we'll see a twin launch of the shuttles But that would be cool. I did Hear a rumor from an intern at Nasa awhile back we might see 2 shuttles in space before they retire them. Both on 2 different missions whether that will Happen who knows. he thought it might happen with the STS-125 (Atlantis)and STS-126(Endeavour) missions.

He said if they Launched 126 for its mission to the ISS while 125 was still in space it would be after Atlantis was deamed safe to land. But that's just a rumor and it could happen or it might not. or it might Happen right before they retire the last 2 shuttles.

reply to post by Mercenary2007


It seems pretty clear you don't now anything about orbital mechanics. Do you even know what orbital inclination is? For the two Shuttles to meet, they must be in the same inclination. For the Shuttle to dock with the ISS, the Shuttle and ISS must be in the same inclination. The inclination of the ISS and HST are radically different.