Brian Thorn wrote:
On Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:31:07 -0600, "Jorge R. Frank"
wrote:


...One must still ask if an M=1 launch is capable, with the Shuttle
arriving within one orbit from launch.
No. Not enough time to do even the post-insertion configuration of the
orbiter. And the amount of braking required would produce enough plume
impingement to seriously damage just about any target. M=4 or M=5 might
be doable, on a very crowded timeline. Plume impingement would still be
a problem.

Silly question...

Can't they "overshoot" and come back in from ahead of the target, with
the plume going out into oblivion instead of into the target?

There are various forms of indirect targeting such as this, one of which
is used for shuttle-ISS approaches today. But the thing all such
techniques have in common is that they add lots of time to the
rendezvous - a rev or more - and that (I think) kinda defeats the
purpose the original questioner had in mind.