So here's a question. If you could put the SpaceX Dragon on a non-orbital trajectory where it would re-enter but was somehow timed to fly past the ISS in a way the ISS could grapple it with it's RMS, what would happen?
The RMS would be torn off, probably.So here's a question. If you could put the SpaceX Dragon on a non-orbital trajectory where it would re-enter but was somehow timed to fly past the ISS in a way the ISS could grapple it with it's RMS, what would happen?
If the Dragon was going slow enough to be captured by the SSRMS, it'd be in a similar orbit as the ISS, so either it'd not be reentering, or the ISS would be in your scenario.
If the Dragon was going slow enough to be captured by the SSRMS, it'd be in a similar orbit as the ISS, so either it'd not be reentering, or the ISS would be in your scenario.
Your vertical velocity will be 0 momentarily, yes, but your horizontal velocity most certainly won't be. The ISS will have a higher horizontal velocity (since it's in orbit and you're not), so your relative velocity will be nonzero.Well, I'm not familiar with all the maths, but conceivably couldn't the sub-orbital Dragon's apogee just happen to perfect match up with the ISS in a place to rendezvous? I was under the impression that you slowed down at the apogee in a ballistic orbit like that right before you started back down. I mean, isn't there a point where you'd hit a velocity of zero before accelerating back down?
I was just wondering if there was a hypothetical scenario where you could launch something up in a very steep arc and time the apogee where -- providing you could have an RMS arm that was strong enough -- kind of "snag" the object and take it along with you.
I wonder if it would be possible to try this in Orbiter and see what happened. Alas, I am not capable enough at these kinds of maneuvers.
These 2 sentences (and your original question as well) basically sum it up.Well, I'm not familiar with all the maths...
...Alas, I am not capable enough at these kinds of maneuvers.
Well, I'm not familiar with all the maths, but conceivably couldn't the sub-orbital Dragon's apogee just happen to perfect match up with the ISS in a place to rendezvous? I was under the impression that you slowed down at the apogee in a ballistic orbit like that right before you started back down. I mean, isn't there a point where you'd hit a velocity of zero before accelerating back down?
Well, I'm not familiar with all the maths, but conceivably couldn't the sub-orbital Dragon's apogee just happen to perfect match up with the ISS in a place to rendezvous? I was under the impression that you slowed down at the apogee in a ballistic orbit like that right before you started back down. I mean, isn't there a point where you'd hit a velocity of zero before accelerating back down?
I was just wondering if there was a hypothetical scenario where you could launch something up in a very steep arc and time the apogee where -- providing you could have an RMS arm that was strong enough -- kind of "snag" the object and take it along with you.
I wonder if it would be possible to try this in Orbiter and see what happened. Alas, I am not capable enough at these kinds of maneuvers.
But it wouldn't "snag", it would collide with the ISS at ~7.8 kilometres per second. Calculating the energies involved and picturing the consequences is left as en exercise to the reader.
Simple rules of thumbs for the task:
A collision of 2400 m/s means the energy equivalent of each kg of spacecraft exploding like TNT.
Double velocity means four times the energy and the TNT equivalent.
I think another factor to be dealt with is the relative mass of the two vehicles.
Let us assume for a moment we broke the law of orbital mechanics momentarily, like a stopwatch,and is able to dock.
The dragon mass is much smaller than that of the ISS.
When we start the "stopwatch" again, the ISS will absorb the relative difference in speed of about 400 to 500 DV
I by no means are a math guru, so I may be wrong.