Flight Question Docking Space Shuttle on Mir, taking off from Canaveral

[ggrof]

Hello Everyone

I´m with problems to dock the Shuttle on MIR taking off from Canaveral. Reaching the correct azimuth is not quite a problem (i prefer to head at 90 degrees in the launch window, so my RVEL is low enough. I Believe this is the correct azimuth once is not possible to calculte a more precise azimuth with KSC coordenates relative to MIR), but i have serious problems in approaching, after have syncronized orbits (the quantity of fuel at the last moment of syncronization is about 10 - 12k): the linear thrusters are very imprecise in comparison to delta gliders and is very common running out of fuel trying to correct the course and lowing the RVEL.

Can someone help me in this matter???

Regards

Thanks

 

[garyw]

Mir in the default installation isn't in the right plane for the shuttle to reach it. I don't think you'll have enough delta-v.

If you move Mir to it's correct orbital plane you should be fine.

 

[Rtyh-12]

According to Wikipedia, Mir had an inclination of 51.6 degrees. In case it helps.

 

[Izack]

To launch directly into the ecliptic plane, your latitude has to be within 23.4 degrees of the Equator (KSC is 28.5 North,) and I don't think the Shuttle has enough Dv for even the most efficient plane change to there.

Funny, this just came up in an IRC channel a few minutes ago where a friend and I are attempting to build a space station in the ecliptic plane.

EDIT: Any attempt to calculate your azimuth from KSC to the ecliptic plane should return a domain error.

 

[ggrof]

Yes!! I made it!! i´ve docked space shuttle on MIR!! after spending some days...

 

[Rtyh-12]

[...]I don't think the Shuttle has enough Dv for even the most efficient plane change to there.

But what about an aero plane change? The one where you drop into the atmosphere and you turn using the atmosphere? I once changed my plane 20 degrees in an XR-2 using only the fuel needed for deorbiting and orbital insert. The Shuttle isn't nearly as aerodynamic, though.

 

[HAL9001]

But what about an aero plane change? The one where you drop into the atmosphere and you turn using the atmosphere? I once changed my plane 20 degrees in an XR-2 using only the fuel needed for deorbiting and orbital insert. The Shuttle isn't nearly as aerodynamic, though.

I once changed 30 degrrees in a Shuttle in this way

 

[garyw]

I once changed 30 degrrees in a Shuttle in this way

with or without unlimited fuel?

 

[Rtyh-12]

With an aero plane change, it doesn't really matter. You are only limited by the fuel to deorbit and reinsert.

 

[ggrof]

The tutorial that came with main installation of orbiter shows a aero plane change to dock ISS, reaching 139 degrees changing heading little after the shuttle launch. Docking on MIR is not too difficult: just wait for a launch window about 4,5 RInc, heading 90 degrees. If possible, i try to don´t reaching orbit using OMS burns, gaining Delta V caming from the main fuel tank to syncronize orbit. It´s not so much conventional, but works (yes, of course, i´m talking about the stock space shuttle).

 

[Tommy]

But what about an aero plane change? The one where you drop into the atmosphere and you turn using the atmosphere? I once changed my plane 20 degrees in an XR-2 using only the fuel needed for deorbiting and orbital insert.

Aerodynamic plane changes are only useful if the RInc is high enough - typically over 10 to 15 degrees - depends a lot on the vessel. There is a "fixed minimum" cost in an aero PLC - the cost of recircularizing the orbit - and a variable cost (velocity lost due to drag).