IXV looking good! Pano photo from Park Ave in Worcester, MA birthplace of Robert H. Goddard... in city for training today
"The target trajectory for separation of the Intermediate Experimental Vehicle was a perigee of 76 kilometres (47.2 miles, 41.0 nautical miles) and an apogee of 416 kilometres (258 miles, 225 nautical miles) at an inclination of 5.4 degrees."
"While this could technically be termed an orbit, since the perigee of the trajectory lies above the surface of the Earth, it intersects the atmosphere such that the IXV will reenter before completing its first revolution."
"Such a transatmospheric orbit is generally considered to be a suborbital, rather than orbital, mission."
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/02/europes-vega-rocket-debut-ixv-spaceplane/
"The target trajectory for separation of the Intermediate Experimental Vehicle was a perigee of 76 kilometres (47.2 miles, 41.0 nautical miles) and an apogee of 416 kilometres (258 miles, 225 nautical miles) at an inclination of 5.4 degrees."
"While this could technically be termed an orbit, since the perigee of the trajectory lies above the surface of the Earth, it intersects the atmosphere such that the IXV will reenter before completing its first revolution."
"Such a transatmospheric orbit is generally considered to be a suborbital, rather than orbital, mission."
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/02/europes-vega-rocket-debut-ixv-spaceplane/
Attached Image:
~ Charlie Stevenson
8" f/5.7 String Telescope - 1st Scope Build; 2nd Place Stellafane 2016 Optical Award for Newtonians 12.5" and Smaller
10" f/4.5 Newtonian (June 2015) mirror refigured by Optic Wave Labs P-V WaveFront 1/14.24, Strehl Ratio 0.993 (Aug '15)
Criterion RV-6 seems to be circa 1973 (June 2015) [For Sale]
Celestron C8-A XLT (January 2015) [For Sale]
Celestron PowerSeeker 70AZ (Christmas 2014)
Aldrich Astronomical Society member since 2015
http://astro.charleskelleystevenson.com/