All Questions
Tagged with orbital-mechanicsiss
47 questions
2votes
1answer
818views
ISS (ZARYA) TLE to Latitude Longitude Conversion
I am trying to take TLE of ISS (ZARYA) and get the latitude longitude and height. I am aware the TLE is in TEME~(True Equator Mean Equinox) frame. This means that the TLE was generated considering the ...
- 2,939
10votes
4answers
4kviews
What is the velocity of the ISS relative to the Earth's surface?
This was asked once before, but I believe there was no clear answer given and accepted. The ISS has an orbital period of 92.9 minutes, or 5574 seconds. If it were in a completely equatorial orbit, ...
5votes
1answer
1kviews
Modelling ISS orbit in GMAT
I am a complete newbie in all things space related. I am trying to work out how I can model the orbit of the ISS in the NASA open source tool GMAT. I can get the TLE for ISS (ZAYRA) from space-track....
- 151
8votes
5answers
4kviews
What is the maximum distance between two satellites orbiting at 400 km that would still allow them to communicate with each other using radio waves?
All satellites have the same inclination. At an altitude of 400 km, the circumference of their orbit is $2\pi \cdot (6371+400) = 42\ 543$ km. If, for example, you have only 2 satellites separated by ...
25votes
3answers
10kviews
If you release a tool outside the ISS in space will it remain at the "same" place forever?
If an astronaut doing a repair outside the International Space Station (ISS) gently lets go of a tool into space, will it keep "flying" (orbiting) at the same spot relative to the ISS where ...
- 369
3votes
2answers
264views
Can ISS trash be used as reaction mass for orbital maintenance
There have been a number of videos posted about trash being hand-pitched out the back of the ISS. This seems like a waste of potential reaction mass, especially since it cost $20,000/kg to get it up ...
- 33k
0votes
1answer
124views
ISS Live Views of Earth on Nasa's EHDC Camera appear to be retrograde orbit
If the Orbit of the ISS is Prograde and Synchronized with the same orbit as the Earth, would not the Live EHDC views motion appear Stationary?
3votes
1answer
179views
What is the acceleration in an orbit decaying due to air resistance relative to one not decaying?
This answer to Is there an upper limit for the internal size of space stations? has this paragraph: Finally, if you are stuck ["stranded" in the middle of a room in a space station filled ...
4votes
0answers
173views
How many burns does it take to reboost the ISS?
When the International Space Station is given a reboost, how many burns are performed? Is it a Hohmann transfer orbit, with one perigee burn and one apogee burn? Or is it one burn at apogee just to ...
- 48.7k
3votes
2answers
2kviews
ISS nodal precession
I was confused by JPL Horizons data showing time variations in the ISS longitude of ascending node, until I realized maybe the orbital plane itself rotates around earth... A quick web search then ...
user39728
1vote
1answer
431views
Orbit design guidelines for rendezvous with ISS?
Are there guidelines for orbit design if you're launching a payload for delivery to the ISS? Altitude, maybe phase angle constraints? Orbital approach maneuvers, maybe? I've figured out how to control ...
user39728
6votes
3answers
514views
Why does it take so long for ISS garbage to fall out of orbit?
The ISS recently jettison some garbage and expects it to take 2-4 years to de-orbit and burn up. From Gizmodo's ISS Ditches 2.9-Ton Pallet of Batteries, Creating Its Most Massive Piece of Space Trash: ...
9votes
1answer
2kviews
This ISS trash deployment looks more like 2 feet than 2 inches per second, was it too fast or are these articles incorrect?
Digital Trends' Watch a NASA astronaut jettison part of the ISS into space which was linked in says: Writing in Air & Space last year about the process of jettisoning objects, veteran NASA ...
- 153k
6votes
1answer
324views
Why is the Orbital Velocity after SECO of Crew Dragon with 27K km/h lower than of ISS?
Crew Dragon after SECO: Orbital Vfelocity at 27,000km/h at 200km altitude (roughly 9-10min after liftoff). ISS Orbital Velocity at ca. 28,000 km/h at 400km altitude.iss_altitude,iss speed However from ...
- 171
2votes
0answers
58views
When sending astronauts to the ISS, how does each spacecraft sense the other? [duplicate]
When spacecraft with astronauts tries to dock with the ISS, are there special sensors in each used to track the other? Does one usually do the detection, tracking and orientation in order to "...
- 127
