Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!pacbell!ames!ncar!mailrus!cornell!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!adolph
From: adolph@ssc-vax.UUCP (Mark C. Adolph)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Speed and altitude
Message-ID: <2265@ssc-vax.UUCP>
Date: 30 Sep 88 05:19:38 GMT
References: <790@nosc.NOSC.MIL>
Organization: Boeing Aerospace Corp., Seattle WA
Lines: 17

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?

According to sources I've read, the shuttle actually does a shallow
*dive* to pick up speed on its way to orbit.  I thought that it was
done about twenty miles higher, but it's been a long time since I read
that stuff.

-- 

					-- Mark A.
					...uw-beaver!ssc-vax!adolph