I just received ISS Status Report #32. Below is the second paragraph of
that report. Notice that no metric equivalents are given for the sizes
of the pieces (which were probably designed and built in inches and
feet), but all the kinematic and relative navigation data are in metric
units with no non-metric equivalents. Is this a sign that even JSC is
starting to metricate? Usually at the end of each of these reports they
give the altitude of the ISS in statute miles (only). In this report,
the infomation given is:
"The station is orbiting at an average altitude of 240 statute miles
(385 km)."
Oh, be still my heart...
Jim
Paragraph two from the report:
Mission controllers in Moscow fired pyrotechnic devices that activated
spring pushrods to eject the 20-foot-long instrumentation and
propulsion segment of the Pirs Docking Compartment at 10:36 a.m.
Central time today. The segment moved away from the station at a rate
of about 4 meters per second until it reached a point far enough away
to fire its control system jets without contaminating the station. It
then moved ahead and above the station to a distance of 24 kilometers
when its thrusters were commanded to fire in a deorbit maneuver sending
it into the atmosphere to burn up upon reentry. Left behind is the
16-foot long, 4-ton Pirs, which will serve as a new port for future
Russian vehicles arriving at the station and as an airlock from which
spacewalks will be conducted from the Russian segment of the outpost.
--
James R. Frysinger University/College of Charleston
10 Captiva Row Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
Charleston, SC 29407 66 George Street
843.225.0805 Charleston, SC 29424
http://www.cofc.edu/~frysingj [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cert. Adv. Metrication Specialist 843.953.7644
