Re: [FWD] Congress tells NASA not to give up on manned Hubble service mission

From: Jorge R. Frank (jrfrank_at_ibm-pc.borg)
Date: 07/15/04 

Date: 15 Jul 2004 23:19:20 GMT

"Joe Delphi" <delphi561@nospam.earthlink.net> wrote in
news:HPwJc.3506$mL5.3394@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net:

>> No, absolutely not, not just "no" but "Hell No". You could pack a
>> shuttle to the brim with propellant and still only have a fraction of
>> what would be
>> required to reach ISS from HST's current orbit.
>
> Can you tell us the orbital inclinations of the ISS and HST?

Certainly. The most recent elements for both are here:

http://www.celestrak.com/

Specifically:

http://www.celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/stations.txt
http://www.celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/science.txt

which gives inclinations of 28.4674 for HST, 51.6302 for ISS. YMMV, since
these files are updated regularly.

Of course, the inclination difference is only half the problem, since the
RAANs are also constantly changing due to differential nodal regression.
The delta-V for a plane change could vary between 3.04 and 9.75 km/s
depending on the delta-RAAN. At the higher end, you're indeed better off
returning HST to Earth and re-launching, since orbital velocity is only
around 7.7 km/s.

But in no case is it possible for a shuttle to do an on-orbit plane change
between the two. The shuttle's OMS tanks have a delta-V capability of
around 0.3 km/s, half of which is required for insertion and deorbit. 

-- 
JRF
Reply-to address spam-proofed - to reply by E-mail,
check "Organization" (I am not assimilated) and
think one step ahead of IBM.

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