Re: Can they still go back to ISS?

I think the point is that at the moment, the orbit is the same as the ISS,
and they are only around 65 miles away.

If they had changed their orbit substantially, then, no.

Brian

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"nmp" <address@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:pan.2006.07.16.17.14.15.387482@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Op Sun, 16 Jul 2006 17:02:43 +0000, schreef Jim Oberg:

"nmp" <address@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:pan.2006.07.16.16.55.09.384872@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Everything seems to be going just fine now, thank goodness, but I was
just
curious: if something was found wrong in this stage of the flight, after
separating from ISS and before deorbit, would the Orbiter still be able
to
go back to the ISS for the crew to wait for rescue there? If not: where
exactly is the "point of no return"? Would the Orbiter have enough fuel
to
somehow "catch up" with the Space Station after their orbits have
diverged?

Yes, they saved back gas for a re-rendezvous if the external
post-sep inspection found a lethal wound. That's why they
did not -- this time -- do a station photo fly-around, like
they usually do. Sometime after the beginning of the deorbit burn,
they no longer have enough gas to stop and head back to the station.

Thank you. So, do I understand correctly, that as long as they are still
in orbit they could always fly back to the ISS? Provided that they save
the fuel for it of course, thanks for clearing that up. But still I guess
the distance to the station would only increase after the separation, and
they wouldn't be able to change course very drastically when they are in
orbit. Isn't it something like a ballistic course that they are on? How
free are they really to navigate around while in orbit?




.

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