Author Topic: The miles...  (Read 2173 times)

Offline Satori

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The miles...
« on: 02/20/2007 02:04 pm »
:)

Sorry for this simple question: when NASA gives the values of a rocket altitude during a launch (or even of a spacecraft in orbit) the values are in miles. Bur are we talking about statute miles or 'maritime' miles?

Thanks!

Offline Jorge

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RE: The miles...
« Reply #1 on: 02/20/2007 02:20 pm »
Quote
Satori - 20/2/2007  9:04 AM

:)

Sorry for this simple question: when NASA gives the values of a rocket altitude during a launch (or even of a spacecraft in orbit) the values are in miles. Bur are we talking about statute miles or 'maritime' miles?

Unfortunately, it's not always easy to tell. Internally, NASA always uses nautical miles. Sometimes, PAO converts the figures to statute miles for press releases, news stories, etc and just calls them "miles". And sometimes they leave the figures in nautical miles and just cut off the word "nautical".
--
JRF
JRF

Offline imfan

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Re: The miles...
« Reply #2 on: 02/21/2007 07:09 am »
its time to get rid of that barbarian units. hope VSE will stick with the decision to do so.
the moon will b e metric!
the moon will be ours!
:-)

Offline Spiff

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Re: The miles...
« Reply #3 on: 02/21/2007 09:07 am »
Well although I'm a big metric lover, the nautical mile is actually one of the few exceptions I'm willing to make since it is (per definition) the distance corresponding to one arcminute around the earth. (40074000/(360*60) = approx. 1855 meter)
However...... what happens to a nautical mile in orbit? Is it still the same arcminute and thus a longer distance? Or is the distance considered the same and does a nautical mile thus no longer correspond to one arcminute?
Anyone knows? ;)
I always consider space to be the FIRST frontier.

Offline Jester

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Re: The miles...
« Reply #4 on: 02/21/2007 11:12 am »
Quote
Spiff - 21/2/2007  11:07 AM

Well although I'm a big metric lover, the nautical mile is actually one of the few exceptions I'm willing to make since it is (per definition) the distance corresponding to one arcminute around the earth. (40074000/(360*60) = approx. 1855 meter)
However...... what happens to a nautical mile in orbit? Is it still the same arcminute and thus a longer distance? Or is the distance considered the same and does a nautical mile thus no longer correspond to one arcminute?
Anyone knows? ;)

NASA uses the nautical mile
The nautical mile was redefined some time ago as being 1852 meters

Offline Jim

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Re: The miles...
« Reply #5 on: 02/21/2007 11:24 am »
Quote
Spiff - 21/2/2007  5:07 AM

Well although I'm a big metric lover, the nautical mile is actually one of the few exceptions I'm willing to make since it is (per definition) the distance corresponding to one arcminute around the earth. (40074000/(360*60) = approx. 1855 meter)
However...... what happens to a nautical mile in orbit? Is it still the same arcminute and thus a longer distance? Or is the distance considered the same and does a nautical mile thus no longer correspond to one arcminute?
Anyone knows? ;)

The reference is the earth' diameter, not the orbit of the craft

Offline Spiff

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Re: The miles...
« Reply #6 on: 02/21/2007 02:22 pm »
Ok, so 1852 meters independent of altitude, orbit, etc.
Thanx!
In that case, i'm even more for the metric system cause the nautical mile loses it's significance once you leave the surface of the earth.
;)
I always consider space to be the FIRST frontier.

Offline spaceflight101

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Re: The miles...
« Reply #7 on: 02/21/2007 11:30 pm »
Quote
Jim - 21/2/2007  7:24 AM

Quote
Spiff - 21/2/2007  5:07 AM

Well although I'm a big metric lover, the nautical mile is actually one of the few exceptions I'm willing to make since it is (per definition) the distance corresponding to one arcminute around the earth. (40074000/(360*60) = approx. 1855 meter)
However...... what happens to a nautical mile in orbit? Is it still the same arcminute and thus a longer distance? Or is the distance considered the same and does a nautical mile thus no longer correspond to one arcminute?
Anyone knows? ;)

The reference is the earth' diameter, not the orbit of the craft

Too bad astronauts don't get paid by the mile, like truckers do! Money, money, money!

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