wi@dutlru2.tudelft.nl (Edwin Wisse) (11/14/90)
In article <3448@orbit.cts.com> schaper@pnet51.orb.mn.org (S Schaper) writes: >Why not let the free-flyer be the one to orbit without the thruster >corrections, except for the ones necessary to maintain orbit, let the manned >platform do the formation flying? That may turn out necessary for Freedom as >ell >to have the materials sciences on a separate platform - an expanded Columbus, That is exactly what ESA is doing right now. Freedom does not only consist of the permanently manned lab, it also includes a polar platform for Earth observation and a man-tended free flyer. This man-tended free flyer is the real microgravity lab, it docks to Freedom regularly in order to have its experiments replaced and maintained by the Freedom crew, it can also be visited by Hermes, as a matter of fact, its one of the reasons why ESA is going to build a Hermes. As far as I know the free flyer (they renamed it some time ago but I cannot remember what its called now) will only fire its thrusters for return to Freedom, the rest of the time it will just coast. Edwin Wisse wi@dutlru2.tudelft.nl BITNET: vlrustc@hdetud1
dlbres10@pc.usl.edu (Fraering Philip) (11/15/90)
In article <1990Nov14.103802.21823@dutlru1.tudelft.nl> wi@dutlru2.tudelft.nl (Edwin Wisse) writes: >That is exactly what ESA is doing right now. Freedom does not only consist of >the permanently manned lab, it also includes a polar platform for Earth >observation and a man-tended free flyer. Why do people keep saying the polar platform is part of freedom? It's not as if someone in Freedom could put on a space suit, strap on his MMU and go out to the polar platform (unless the MMU has antimatter thrusters...). The velocity difference is some 3 km/sec (corrections welcome) or so between leo 28 degrees and polar orbit. Phil