[sci.space.shuttle] space tugs and OMVs

henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) (05/06/89)

In article <2054@Portia.Stanford.EDU> paulf@Jessica.stanford.edu (Paul Flaherty) writes:
>Actually, it was reincarnated as the OMV, which is only useful for LEO
>type payloads.  Since they're planning on using the OMV with HST, it 
>should show its face Real Soon Now...

Well, reincarnated in a much smaller form.

Actually, I believe the latest revised HST plan doesn't use the OMV.  The
problem is to get the HST up to the highest altitude possible, given that
we've got a solar maximum (and hence an atmospheric-drag maximum) coming
up.  There was talk of using the OMV for that, but I think they've decided
that they can coax the shuttle up to a suitable altitude if they try hard.
-- 
Mars in 1980s:  USSR, 2 tries, |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
2 failures; USA, 0 tries.      | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu

paulf@Jessica.stanford.edu (Paul Flaherty) (05/06/89)

In article <1989May5.175127.21275@utzoo.uucp> henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) writes:
>There was talk of using the OMV for that, but I think they've decided
>that they can coax the shuttle up to a suitable altitude if they try hard.

Curious.  How does one "coax the shuttle up to a suitable altitude?"

"I think I can, I think I can, I think I can..."

-=Paul Flaherty, N9FZX      | "Research Scientists need Porsches, too!"
->paulf@shasta.Stanford.EDU |			-- Bloom County

henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) (05/08/89)

In article <2076@Portia.Stanford.EDU> paulf@Jessica.stanford.edu (Paul Flaherty) writes:
>>[HST launch]
>>There was talk of using the OMV for that, but I think they've decided
>>that they can coax the shuttle up to a suitable altitude if they try hard.
>
>Curious.  How does one "coax the shuttle up to a suitable altitude?"

I'm not up on the details myself, but some of it is obvious: minimize
secondary payloads, minimize consumables, pick the most efficient trajectory
possible, pick a favorable phase of the Moon... :-)
-- 
Mars in 1980s:  USSR, 2 tries, |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
2 failures; USA, 0 tries.      | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu