[retired_jshendel]

There are 2 landing opportunaties aswell

[Luke99]

How high up was that plastic bag?

[retired_jshendel]

Hmm not sure. It was in the same orbit as the shuttle and wasnt too far away so roughly same i would guess

[Luke99]

Oh...

how how up was the shuttle orbiting?

[retired_gitfresh]

Originally posted by Paul Bacon:
Perfect they say.

You off work to watch it?

Yup. Back at work on Monday so i'll be watching tomorrow.

How high up was that plastic bag?

The ISS is between 220-240 miles up.

Doesnt really answer the question i know. Not sure if the shuttle moves into a lower orbit once it has left the ISS. I would presume it does.

[Luke99]

Heh, always thought the atmosphere was about just 2 miles up for some reason :/

[Luke99]

*edge of

[retired_jshendel]

Its a lower orbit than the ISS, 150 miles ring a bell

[retired_jshendel]

How high up do all the satellites orbit? Im assuming alot less than the shuttle

[retired_gitfresh]

Equatorial and polar satellites mostly fly at low altitudes between 100 and 1,000 miles.

Stationary satellites, on the other hand, are in very high equatorial orbits 22,300 miles above earth which exactly matches the earth's rotation speed so that the satellite can remain above one position on earth. To arrive at a geosynchronous orbit, the satellite is first launched to an orbit called geostationary transfer orbit, an elliptical orbit around the earth. After first-stage burnout, there follows a separation of the second stage, then the third stage fires to accelerate the spacecraft and places the satellite in a highly elliptical orbit 200 kilometers at its closest point to earth and 35,786 kilometers at its furthermost point. After scientists have checked the satellite systems, more burns put the satellite into its geosynchronous orbit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_orbit

Never realised that some could be as far as 22k away