☰
×
Login Register an account
Top Submissions Explore Upgoat Search Random Subverse Random Post Colorize! Site Rules Donate
14

ISS orbit watch - 4km boost applied over the last few days

submitted by SithEmpire to whatever 5 monthsDec 23, 2024 07:20:47 ago (+14/-0)     (whatever)

Following this post about the ISS falling, I started watching its orbit.

First thing of note - the ISS has a much higher LOWER atmospheric drag value in its orbital elements than with other craft at that altitude, like 2-4 times higher by one order of magnitude. That can be due to having a large cross-section with hollow volume inside, though. With LESS drag, it should be EASIER to keep in orbit.

At the time (2024-12-18) its lowest altitude was 409.74 km; the projected descent was around 0.15 daily, which is indeed around 4.5 km monthly, close to the 5 about which "FEMA"-anon was doomsaying. Other craft drag too, though - anything as low as 400 is going to need tangential propulsion to keep speed up.

Since then (5 days ago) the ISS has been given a 4 km RADIAL boost to raise its orbit, now with a low of 413.20. This has delayed its timing and placed it some 10 degrees off its previous point above Earth, unlike other craft for which the older elements could still be used now.

Will keep watching and comparing it, and maybe try to get older data for comparison. If radial boosts are a regular occurrence then something's off, it should be a gradual tangential push to counter the drag.

EDIT: Misread the drag term, ISS is actually smoother and having to boost it upwards is sort of bad.


22 comments block

sort by: hot new top old low

[ - ] NoRefunds -1 points 5 monthsDec 23, 2024 09:47:02 ago (+2/-3)

I believe in jewish lies

Kys

[ - ] Anus_Expander 0 points 5 monthsDec 23, 2024 10:16:39 ago (+2/-2)

The two stranded spaceniggers were supposed to return after 8 days, its now been 10 months. Are we supposed to believe the fake and gay ISS has that much water and food onboard? KYS.

[ - ] Belfuro 2 points 5 monthsDec 23, 2024 11:44:54 ago (+2/-0)

You are not real. Prove me wrong.
You are in fact. Fake and gay.

[ - ] Anus_Expander -1 points 5 monthsDec 23, 2024 18:21:04 ago (+0/-1)

deez NUTS are real, nigga

[ - ] uvulectomy 0 points 5 monthsDec 23, 2024 12:59:44 ago (+0/-0)

You do realize that they have regular cargo deliveries, yes? One of them just came back a few days ago. Dropped off cargo, picked up a bunch of stuff they wanted to send back to earth.

As for water, they can reclaim something like 70% of the water used onboard, so it can easily last between resupply visits.

Did you just assume the ISS is somewhere unreachable and they can't get regular supply trips?

[ - ] VitaminSieg 0 points 5 monthsDec 23, 2024 13:14:28 ago (+0/-0)

Why didn't they cargo themselves off the station?

[ - ] uvulectomy 1 point 5 monthsDec 23, 2024 13:32:45 ago (+1/-0)

Cargo vessels are pressurized, but don't contain life support equipment. You know, the stuff you need to not die?

If there's an actual emergency that requires evacuation, there's always enough crew-rated vehicles to get everyone out. Currently that's a SpaceX Dragon (Freedom), and Soyuz MS-26 (callsign бурла́к).

They had a 2-seat shortage when the Boeing shit-heap left, but they could have hitched a ride on the crew Dragon if necessary. Strapped in on the floorboards, minivan roadtrip style. But that would have obviously only been for an extreme emergency.

The seat shortage was eliminated by making Butch and Suni part of the next crew and only sending up two people in the next Dragon instead of four. Which also negates the "muh supplies" argument above anyway, since they took the place of two crew who were already scheduled to be there.

[ - ] Anus_Expander 0 points 5 monthsDec 23, 2024 18:20:24 ago (+0/-0)

everything about it is fake n gay

[ - ] TheNoticing 0 points 5 monthsDec 23, 2024 11:08:39 ago (+0/-0)

Can you explain it for people that never took physics?

[ - ] Belfuro 0 points 5 monthsDec 23, 2024 12:29:26 ago (+0/-0)

The speed of the orbit IS the height of the (apogee) of the orbit.
To raise the orbit the iss needs to boost prograde at least twice.
A radial burn makes no sense. That is a burn perpendicular to Prograde. It has very little positive effect, just rotates the orbit on the same plane, around the craft. Used to match orbits.

The thing is, the time of human satellites is coming to an end. The great natural reset us upon us.

[ - ] uvulectomy -1 points 5 monthsDec 23, 2024 12:55:57 ago (+0/-1)

"A radial burn makes no sense. That is a burn perpendicular to Prograde. It has very little positive effect, just rotates the orbit on the same plane,"

You're making no sense. If you rotate the orbit, you're changing the orbital plane, i.e. the inclination. If they needed to change the orbital path, that's why they would use a radial thrust vector. The 4km increase in apogee is just a side-effect that needs to be accounted for since you have to use thrust over time because an instantaneous impulse is not possible.

[ - ] the_old_ones 0 points 5 monthsDec 23, 2024 13:26:01 ago (+0/-0)

You're making no sense. If you rotate the orbit, you're changing the orbital plane, i.e. the inclination

rotation of the object is not its vector trajectory

[ - ] uvulectomy 0 points 5 monthsDec 23, 2024 13:58:54 ago (+0/-0)

"rotation of the object is not its vector trajectory"

You're drunk/high (again). I said nothing about rotating the object. I said rotating the orbit, also known as a "plane change" or "alignment change." If you change the orbital inclination (i.e. plane), you're changing it's path (i.e. trajectory).

Also "vector trajectory" isn't even a term, let alone one I used. Trajectory is the path of an object under the action of a given force. Vector is a mathematical component made up of direction and magnitude. In this case thrust.

Go sleep it off.

[ - ] the_old_ones 0 points 5 monthsDec 23, 2024 14:12:43 ago (+0/-0)

You're drunk/high (again). I said nothing about rotating the object. I said rotating the orbit, also known as a "plane change" or "alignment change." If you change the orbital inclination (i.e. plane), you're changing it's path (i.e. trajectory).

i feel like you're underestimating how fucky navigating in zero-g space gets

[ - ] uvulectomy -1 points 5 monthsDec 23, 2024 17:36:11 ago (+0/-1)

Ahh yes, "fucky." Very convincing technical term. Not to mention "zero-g" is a misnomer. If there were no gravity, there would be no orbits. Indeed in the absence of thrust to change an orbit (and ignoring atmospheric drag which takes too long to act for the purpose of this discussion), gravity is the only thing acting on it.

"It gets fucky" doesn't mean you're correct in making up terms (also the big boys say "complicated").

So again, sleep it off.

[ - ] the_old_ones 0 points 5 monthsDec 23, 2024 17:51:43 ago (+0/-0)

Not to mention "zero-g" is a misnomer


it is not a misnomer. it is specific

[ - ] Trope 0 points 5 monthsDec 23, 2024 17:03:39 ago (+0/-0)

Thank you for the update.

Starwars is gay.

[ - ] dosvydanya_freedomz 1 point 5 monthsDec 23, 2024 09:40:13 ago (+1/-0)

what? i didnt know about this. i heard though that one of the women that they sent up there is losing weight rather fast

due to anxiety maybe? i think her name is sunnita

[ - ] SithEmpire [op] 0 points 5 monthsDec 23, 2024 15:17:38 ago (+0/-0)

There was a post the other day about the ISS falling, purportedly due to a fracture. Can't prove the latter of course, but I'm watching the former for a while!

Thus far it isn't literally falling, although it may be receiving a lot of help to stay in orbit.

[ - ] mikenigger 2 points 5 monthsDec 23, 2024 09:17:30 ago (+2/-0)

two more weeks

[ - ] beece 3 points 5 monthsDec 23, 2024 09:02:51 ago (+3/-0)

Is this about the substantial secret crack forming which some 4chaner said they were aware of?

[ - ] SithEmpire [op] 0 points 5 monthsDec 23, 2024 15:09:37 ago (+0/-0)

Indirectly, yes - I linked to that previous post here.

We're obviously never getting evidence of something as serious as a fracture, but I'm thinking one doesn't have to believe that at face value necessarily, if the public orbit information shows some niggery-diggery.

Not that orbit irregularities determine cause either, but no harm in checking! The public orbital elements can't lie about the position because antennas pointed at the ISS would stop working. Craft can be redacted from elements lists if they are classified, but the ISS isn't.