Re: [sarex] Station Weight

[tlang@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Tony Langdon)]

Hello James!

27 Feb 01 23:32, you wrote to All:

 JW> Perhaps the weight of the satellite doesn't appear in this formula
 JW> because it's negligible compared to the mass of the earth.  My
 JW> question is this: Does the weight of the shuttle really make any
 JW> difference when it becomes part of the space station?
 JW>
 JW> Your orbital mechanics lessons are appreciated.

I wouldn't have thought shuttle mass would affect the orbit, but there are two
other possibilities:

1.  Increased drag caused by the shuttle.
2.  Shift in centre of mass while shuttle is docked (changes the effective
orbital height slightly, and hence the hight-velocity relationship).

Tony, VK3JED

.. ing checker...Don't right Nome without it.
--
|Fidonet:  Tony Langdon 3:633/284.18
|Internet: tlang@freeway.apana.org.au
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| Standard disclaimer: The views of this user are strictly his own.


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