[sci.space.shuttle] LDEF capture

vincel@fs0.ee.ubc.ca (vincent li) (01/17/90)

Probably a silly question, but:
I've heard the shuttle had to fire and catch up to the LDEF before capture. Can the
shuttle not slow down and let the LDEF come to it? Problems with orbit? gravity?

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vincel@ee.ubc.ca          |-) If you study too much your brain will get so heavy
vinceli@triumfcl.bitnet   %-| that it will begin to sag, lodge in the neck, and
                          |-( cut off breathing. -- Mr. Boffo

larryk@hpmwtd.HP.COM (Larry Kubo) (01/18/90)

 I remember a high school physics problem similar to
 catching up with LDEF: If you need to "catch up" in
 terms of angular velocity, you had to go to a lower
 orbit (slow down ). As you slow, you fall to a lower
 orbit, but your angular velocity has increased. Over
 time, you would catch up. Now the trickey question:
 when do you speed up to get back up to the orbit of
 LDEF? I intuitively think before I passed LDEF, but
 I'm not sure.