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From: ray@rochester.UUCP (Ray Frank)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: space telescope orbit
Message-ID: <12492@rochester.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 20-Oct-85 12:00:14 EDT
Article-I.D.: rocheste.12492
Posted: Sun Oct 20 12:00:14 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 22-Oct-85 07:17:53 EDT
References: <8510161537.AA16848@s1-b.ARPA> <694@alberta.UUCP>
Organization: U. of Rochester, CS Dept.
Lines: 20

> In article <8510161537.AA16848@s1-b.ARPA> HQM%MIT-OZ@MIT-MC.ARPA (Henry Minsky) writes:
> >
> >I am confused as to how NASA is going to win with the
> >space telescope's orbit:
> >
> >If they orbit it at the same height as the shuttle, won't it drag the
> >atmosphere and burn up like skylab in a few years?
> >
> >And if they boost it to a higher orbit, how can anyone get to it to make
> >repairs when it breaks?
> 
> My guess is a fairly high low earth orbit, somewhere around 300 nautical
> miles (Anyone out there know the maximum operational altitude of the shuttle?).
> As the ST will be visited fairly often, there will be ample opportunities
> to haul it up a few more miles.  I don't think they'll let it get down
> to the 150-180 miles that Skylab was at.
> 
> -- 
I believe the space telescope is designed to last about 13 years.  How high
would it have to be to stay aloft that long?