Xref: utzoo sci.space:22999 sci.space.shuttle:6009 Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!udel!mvac23!thomas From: thomas@mvac23.UUCP (Thomas Lapp) Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.space.shuttle Subject: Re: Intelsat salvage mission Message-ID: <324.UUL1.3#5131@mvac23.UUCP> Date: 15 Aug 90 23:24:52 GMT References: Sender: usenet@ee.udel.edu Followup-To: sci.space Organization: MultiVac23, Newark, DE, U.S.A. Lines: 24 Nntp-Posting-Host: louie.udel.edu palmer@arrester.caltech.edu (David Palmer) writes: > I heard that, a year or so ago, Hughes patented the idea of, 'Hey, if > you let the satellite drift a bit, you won't use up as much fuel. All > you have to do is move the ground antenna a bit to track it.' Was there > anything more to the patent? Didn't know it was patented, but I've heard the idea of letting them drift a bit. When they get too far out of line, they are sent commands to 'fly' them back into the proper place. Someone told me once that that is the reason satellites are sometimes called 'birds', since they are 'flown'. - tom -- internet : mvac23!thomas@udel.edu or thomas%mvac23@udel.edu uucp : {ucbvax,mcvax,psuvax1,uunet}!udel!mvac23!thomas Location : Newark, DE, USA Quote : I know how to spell banana, I just don't know when to stop -- The UUCP Mailer