3 ms·
No, the Space Shuttle could not have done it. It had nowhere near the ΔV that would have been necessary for an intercept and capture. The OMS had only a tiny fu
by nradov 2y ago
No, the Space Shuttle could not have done it. It had nowhere near the ΔV that would have been necessary for an intercept and capture. The OMS had only a tiny fuel supply. We're talking about orders of magnitude difference here.
- perihelions 2y agoShould have been possible with a dedicated launch. This thing's current orbit is on the same* inclination as the ISS, and at lower altitude. *(They're both at exactly the minimum inclination, 51°, achievable by a Soviet launch from Baikonur).
- dingaling 2y agoIntercept and capture was one of the functional purposes of the shuttle. It was intended to refuel KH-12 recce sats.
- nradov 2y agoOnly for a very limited set of orbital parameters.