![]() ![]() Prograde orbit also allows for a small reduction in delta-V required to get to orbit, thus saving money on the launch.įor scientific or communications satellites, retrograde still doesn't seem to make sense. If the concern is range safety, launch from the East coast instead into a prograde orbit. Realistically, however, the reconnaissance folks are unlikely to be checking out the penguins' nuclear missile testing (you heard nothing and if you did the penguins will get you!) and could thus be put in an orbit that excludes the poles and allows for more frequent visitation of points of interest.Ī retrograde satellite still doesn't make much sense. A retrograde orbit means that you're moving over the surface quite fast, which would probably induce some motion blur in photos and reduce the window of time for which the satellite is over a given target.Ī polar orbit, while it has significant surface speed, allows you to surveil any point on the planet. Simply, why would you want a retrograde orbit?įor a reconnaissance satellite, especially, I would think that a polar orbit would be the obvious choice. Of course, due to range safety requirements you can't launch into a retrograde orbit from Canaveral, but in one of the comments, Matt Large stated that NROL-25 was launched into a retrograde orbit from Vandenberg. On What is the highest inclination orbit ever attained from a Cape Canaveral launch? a question about launching into retrograde orbit. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |