Amazing Image: ISS Crew Captures Shuttle Atlantis’ Last Brilliant Trip Through the Atmosphere

9 Replies to “Amazing Image: ISS Crew Captures Shuttle Atlantis’ Last Brilliant Trip Through the Atmosphere”

1. This is awesome

2. Way cool.

3. If you catch a firefly
   and keep it in a jar
   You may find that
   you have lost
   A tiny star.

   If you let it go then,
   back into the night,
   You may see it
   once again
   Star bright.

   [Lilian Moore]

4. I am confused. Trajectory of Atlantis seems to be a bit off the ISS flight path. Shouldn’t it look more towards ISS?

   1. What do you mean with off?

      1. I mean, there is very short launch window, during which station’s flight path is directly over the launch pad. Within few degrees, I guess. Once cleared the tower, shuttle performs a roll maneuver. At that point, just about 20 seconds after launch, shuttle is already in the plane of orbit and it can’t be changed much. The only thing done from here is acceleration, so perigee of that particular orbit move out of center of Earth. In that very nice picture I see, that trajectory of Atlantis is not directly towards station. Why so?

      2. Because it is going down, not up.

      3. Because it is going down, not up.

   2. IIRC, their trajectory is rather straight-line once they hit atmosphere, so they have to begin their approach already aligned with the runway.

Comments are closed.