Thread: Hubble orbit?
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Old March 25th 09, 10:28 PM posted to sci.space.shuttle
Darren Dunham[_2_]
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Posts: 16
Default Hubble orbit?

wrote:
Neither of them

They fly near due east and enter a LEO orbit of around 28.5 (for less
than a quarter of an orbit). When the vehicle crosses the equator,
the upperstage fires to put the spacecraft in a GTO. Upon apogee, the
spacecraft fires its propulsion system to zero out the inclination and
raise the perigee to GSO altitude.


Or they do a bi-elliptic.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bi-elliptic_transfer

The article only talks about the changes to in-plane circular orbits,
but because a plane change can be done with the second burn at a higher
apogee, there are further savings if one is involved.

WGS-2 will launch this way with a transfer orbit reaching 67000km.

--
Darren