Author Topic: Discovery Returns To Earth (Read 873 times)

Mini D · « **Reply #15 on:** July 17, 2006, 07:45:06 AM »

Thanks, I didn't see those charts on NASA TV.

I wonder how they could change the aproach that much. I thought the aproach windows were quite small.

eagl · « **Reply #16 on:** July 17, 2006, 07:45:20 AM »

The big board in the nasa control room shows the shuttle track along it's planned trajectory, but they won't zoom in on it... I guess nobody wants us to see how well they're shooting the approach

RAIDER14 · « **Reply #17 on:** July 17, 2006, 07:47:08 AM »

they don't want anyone to have videos of a possible accident is the reason why its not coming in over the U.S.

eagl · « **Reply #18 on:** July 17, 2006, 07:48:14 AM »

The approach angle totally depends on where they are in the orbit. The orbit has to pass reasonably close to Florida either heading north or south, and in this case the orbit they chose was heading north. On the standard orbit track map, the orbit would have passed almost directly over Florida if they hadn't done the de-orbit burn and they had a one-orbit-later option as well, so my guess is that as long as their orbit would have passed near the landing site without the de-orbit burn, then they can land from it.

Over the landing site it looks like they have a figure-8 pattern so they arrive high and keep burning off speed and altitude as they go for the perfect approach angle.

RAIDER14 · « **Reply #19 on:** July 17, 2006, 07:50:34 AM »

isn't 1 of the alternative landing striips in Spain???

eagl · « **Reply #20 on:** July 17, 2006, 07:50:45 AM »

Regarding trying to hide an approach mishap... Doubtful raider... If they were even considering that sort of thing, they'd want it to be over land to assist in post-mishap debris recovery. As it is now, any approach mishap would put most of the debris into the water.

I can't believe that they're that corrupt that they'd deliberately choose an approach that ensures a de-orbit mishap couldn't be investigated.

If you want to be that cynical go ahead but you're gonna get ulcers eventually from being pissed off at everthing...

eagl · « **Reply #21 on:** July 17, 2006, 07:52:24 AM »

Regarding spain, they have emergency runways all over the world but the only primary alternate they have is (IIRC) in Calif. (at Edwards I think.)

RAIDER14 · « **Reply #22 on:** July 17, 2006, 07:55:15 AM »

2'000 miles to go

eagl · « **Reply #23 on:** July 17, 2006, 07:56:47 AM »

Poss runway change... Looking at the radar, the last time I flew into that same picture I busted my butt and got nailed by a huge T-Storm halfway through the landing rollout. I hope they don't have the same prob.

eagl · « **Reply #24 on:** July 17, 2006, 07:58:03 AM »

They would have scrubbed the landing if the weather was like that just 40 min ago... Now they're stuck.

Doing S-turns at high mach now... kewl.

RAIDER14 · « **Reply #25 on:** July 17, 2006, 08:00:02 AM »

1'000 miles to go

RAIDER14 · « **Reply #26 on:** July 17, 2006, 08:01:01 AM »

Runway change

RAIDER14 · « **Reply #27 on:** July 17, 2006, 08:06:22 AM »

214 miles to go

AquaShrimp · « **Reply #28 on:** July 17, 2006, 08:08:35 AM »

Air Sensor Probe wont come down.

RAIDER14 · « **Reply #29 on:** July 17, 2006, 08:09:39 AM »

I think they fixed it