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  International Space Station's orientation in orbit

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Author Topic:   International Space Station's orientation in orbit
Teacher in space
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Registered: Sep 2013

posted 09-24-2013 07:23 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Teacher in space     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I could not find information of the International Space Station's position in space. I assume that it always has the same side towards Earth (the side where Cupola is), but which part of the ISS is leading? Or is there some rotation?

Jim Behling
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Posts: 1463
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: Mar 2010

posted 09-24-2013 08:35 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jim Behling   Click Here to Email Jim Behling     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The ISS "flies" with the truss perpendicular to the flight path with the Russian segment trailing (Node-2 forward) and cupola facing earth. This is a LHLV (local horizontal-local vertical) attitude. To keep this attitude as it orbits the earth, the ISS actually has to rotate once per orbit, because a vehicle in orbit would stay fixed in the same attitude in inertial space.

Teacher in space
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posted 09-24-2013 09:29 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Teacher in space     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks!

Headshot
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Posts: 864
From: Vancouver, WA, USA
Registered: Feb 2012

posted 09-24-2013 09:49 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Headshot   Click Here to Email Headshot     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks for asking the question, I have often wondered about this myself.

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