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[[circled]] 6 [[/circled]]

Launch gets it into same plane.... now have to get it not just in same orbit, but at same place in that orbit

=> launch into lower orbit than MIR, & then "catch up"

-> Send in shuttle orbit...circ.... takes ~90min to go around => time depends on your exact orbit 

For circular orbit T=(√4π2/6M) r^3/2 <- radius measured from center of earth
=>T~r^3/2

elliptical orbit ~a^3/2  a = semi-major axis of eclipse [[image 1]] 

as radius of orbit (height of orbit) increases, takes longer to go once around
[[image 2]] <- shuttle will go into a lower orbit, & "behind" MIR, & catch up

What's rate of catch-up?
Depends on shuttle orbit
=> ~50km differences, ~1min
=> 1 min = 300 miles

Transcription Notes:
[[image 1]] hand drawn ellipse; center line with mid tic mark [[image 2]] hand drawn center with two surrounding orbits -- the instructions in the description of the project say not to bother describing images and drawings