Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!pritch
From: pritch@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Norm Pritchett)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Speed and altitude
Message-ID: <23004@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu>
Date: 30 Sep 88 01:57:30 GMT
References: <790@nosc.NOSC.MIL>
Organization: The Ohio State University Dept of Computer and Information Science
Lines: 23

In article <790@nosc.NOSC.MIL> lulue@nosc.NOSC.MIL (D L ) writes:
>
>While listening to the launch broadcast this morning I noticed that as
>the shuttle's velocity increased, its altitude seemed to decrease.  
>At some where around 15000fps the altitide was 65 nautical miles 
>and then a few seconds later around 19Kfps it sounded like the 
>controller called out the altitude as 61 n.m.  Did I mis-hear this?

No, you didn't mis-hear that.  That is part of the normal profile of
every shuttle launch.  Depending on whose TV coverage you watched they
probably whould have made some mention of it.  I am pretty certain I
have heard an explanation for this but I can't find the reason in any
of my references - they only state it occurs.  However, if memory
serves me right, I heard it mentioned that this was done to insure
proper ditching of the external tank into the ocean rather than having
it go into orbit.



-- 
Norm Pritchett, The Ohio State University College of Engineering
Internet: pritchett@eng.ohio-state.edu	BITNET: TS1703 at OHSTVMA
UUCP: pritch@cis.ohio-state.edu