Ed can be forgiven because he runs (well, used to run) a website that includes orbital or suborbital categorization so he needs an objective definition (I think orbital energy is appropriate actually, but whatever).I’d pitch in $20 to help keep it running. Was a fantastic resource.
Quote from: Herb Schaltegger on 08/15/2022 12:23 pmCall it whatever you want, then. How ‘bout Almost But Not Quite Orbital But Could Be Orbital If We Wanted To Risk Uncontrolled Reentry Test Flight? Sadly, ABNQOBCBOIWWTRURTF doesn’t just flow off the tongue. 🙄 I like it. But I think it's already taken by a village in Wales.
Call it whatever you want, then. How ‘bout Almost But Not Quite Orbital But Could Be Orbital If We Wanted To Risk Uncontrolled Reentry Test Flight? Sadly, ABNQOBCBOIWWTRURTF doesn’t just flow off the tongue. 🙄
Quote from: meekGee on 08/15/2022 01:35 pmYou can mince words all you want, but from an engineering perspective, the planned SS flight profile is equivalent to being orbital. It is intentionally cut short for logistical reasons.You can have a flight profile that shoots straight up past the moon and comes back without completing a single orbit and yet far exceeds orbital velocity, reentry speed, and therefore difficulty. Still "suborbital"? Technically, yes. Practically? No.Not mincing words, or making the choice myself. These suborbital flights are important, and sometimes historic, but they are either given a COSPAR orbital designation or they aren't. If so, they are on the orbital list. If not, they aren't. - Ed Kyle
You can mince words all you want, but from an engineering perspective, the planned SS flight profile is equivalent to being orbital. It is intentionally cut short for logistical reasons.You can have a flight profile that shoots straight up past the moon and comes back without completing a single orbit and yet far exceeds orbital velocity, reentry speed, and therefore difficulty. Still "suborbital"? Technically, yes. Practically? No.
Yeah this is circular.You've made an art of painting incorrect pictures using technically correct terms and statistics.The opposite of "this is where the facts led me".I'm out.
Yeah this is circular.
Quote from: meekGee on 08/15/2022 10:12 pmYeah this is circular. Actually, orbits are never circular.
Who freakin' cares?