Low Earth Orbit
Hi Yogi,
Im no expert on how to fly the Shuttle Ultra, in fact I dont even have the add-on and it would be nice if somone posted a list of all the links that show where to get all the files needed to mod Orbiter 2006 P1 for that add-on.
For now, I can post how to launch the regular shuttle Atlantis to launch into a correct azimuth for ISS intercept and rendezvous which should save on fuel and how to get into an optimal -not nominal low earth orbit(LOE).
The correct azimuth can be calculated using the default Map MFD and the Align Plane MFD that both come with Orbiter 2006.
I personally load the:
"Atlantis satellite Launch"
Launch Space Shuttle Atlantis from Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center for mission STS-101.
...(STS-101 default shuttle from the "Space Shuttle Atlantis folder) to do this since I dont have the Shuttle Ultra files to install but the concept should be the same though for the azimuth part.
IN that scenario, the ISS is orbiting the earth at 365.0Km. You are safely poised on the ground for launch at UT Wed Mar 14, 21:46:25 2001
What I do is fast forward the time until I see the path of the ISS in Map MFD to just before crossing over Cape Canaveral. This launch window starts to open up at around UT Mar 15 06:34:46 2001 or so.
Because this whole process is going to be based on a single flight plan, I suggest that what you do first is set up a Scenario that you call "STS-124-0010" or something that is near around this time so you can start from here instead of Mar 14, 21:46:25 2001 which is the load up time.
The reason is we need to be talking about an exact point in time for our launch windows to be the same and for us to see similar numbers. This is important because depending on when you launch is going to tell you what azimuth you will need and thus our flight plan will vary significantly due to the amount of time it will take us to roll to the correct azimuth.
Taking into account the time we let an external MFD (called AttitudMFD) roll the Shuttle Atlantis to an azimuth we will determine later, will be a good starting point and it will create a standard we can all count on which will make the rest of the flight a standard. A standard flight will give us a set of locations and numbers we can all look at and say "Ok this is being done correctly", "Im in the correct location that every one else is at".
The main reason is because if we dont decide on a set way to launch and orbit, we will be in different locations the rest of the flight and this will result in us getting lost later on in our study of this. Asking questions will be more about why were in different locations and how do we get syncronized up and wont have anything to do with our flight.
Also the pitch sequences that occur will vary based on the time it takes us to roll to that azimuth and so on and so fourth.
You see, without a standardized universal process to launch, telling you how to launch at a nominal azimuth for ISS rendezvous will be pointless really. We want to determine how much fuel we will need in order to correct our Inclination after LEO.
We want to be using a minimal amount of fuel for Inclination adjustment because the default Shuttle Atlantis has a very small main thrust after main tank seperation. You need to be in the best azimuth you can get and at an altitude that either goes slower or faster than the ISS depending on if its in front of you or behind you when its vector crosses the Cape.
All this will determin if you even get close enough to ISS to use the Rendezvous MFD or not and you will need enough fuel to complete any burns you may need for not only rendezvous but re-entry.
If we determine a standard way to get to ISS without cheating on fuel, we can at least say we can do it in Orbiter. This will in NO WAY represent in the least the way its done in real life so we will also have to agree on that.
To show you how I would do it would require that we both run the same scenario with the same vehicle doing the same flight plan as best as we can to achieve the cheapest orbit we can.
The good thing about the default Orbiter Atlantis shuttle is there is plenty of fuel in the tank to get into a LEO. Its your azimuth and launch window that is going to determine how much of an Aligh Plane burn you will need to make to correct your Inclination to ISS -AND- at what final altitude you will have after circularizing your orbit for rendezvous.
I dont know if circularizing then correcting your Inclination in sequence is cheaper than Inclination adjust, then circularizing, but I think since sometimes Inclination adjust changes your Eccentricity you may want to do the circularization last.
I could step out a flight plan for you if you want but it will take a bit of typing.
Would this help your question? or am I way off course?
