duydr

• Home • Up • Feedback • Contents • Search • MAA Store • Store By Amazon •

 

Home
Up

 

 

 

 

 

8 Ball Maneuver

Lesson Objectives

In this tutorial you will learn about how to use the 8-Ball Maneuver to inspect, track, and dock with other space craft.  The following subjects will be presented.

  1. 8 Ball Maneuver
  2. Performing the Maneuver
  3. Docking with other space craft

 

Section 1: 8 Ball Maneuver

The 8-Ball Maneuver is used to fly your space craft around another vessel in orbit while keeping it in view at all times. The idea is too always keep the nose of the Delta Glider pointing towards the target as you move across the surface an imaginary sphere, Figure 1. The 8-Ball Maneuver will require that you constantly switch back and forth between the rotational and translational modes to maintain your distance and orientation, with practice this will become easier for you.

Figure 1 The 8-Ball

Section 2: Performing the Maneuver

As you approach another space craft to maneuver around it will require you to constantly compensate for its orbital velocity, Figure 2a. It will appear to you to either be drifting toward or a way from the target. When trailing the target you will tend to drift away from it, and when leading the target you will tend to drift towards it.

  1. Approach the selected target until you are with in 1 kilometer, maintain this distance at all times.

  2. The linear RCS thrusters can be used to maintain a constant distance by moving "forward", or "back wards", Figure 1, 2a and 2b. By maintaining your distance you will then only have to worry about moving in two dimensions across the surface of a sphere..

  3. The translational mode of the RCS is used to move across the surface of the 8-Ball. You can either move "up" or "down", and "left" or "right", relative to your view point. As you start to move the nose will drift away from the target

  4. The rotational mode of the RCS is used to keep the nose of the space craft pointing towards the target. You must maintain a visual on the selected target at all times. Doing so will help you from getting disoriented and aid in space craft control.

  5. Use the rotational mode to rotate and move along a different circumference of the sphere.

Figure 2a Compensate for the targets orbital velocity

Figure 2b HUD display

Section 3: Docking with other space craft

Moving a long the 8-Ball is largely a matter of technique. An easy method is to rotate the space craft so that the Relative Velocity indicator is along one of the axis depicted in Figure 3a. Align it either horizontally or vertically relative to your view point. Then use the rotational and translational modes to maneuver to any desired point around the target, such as the initial approach point for docking (Figure 3b). This technique can be used dock with the International Space Station, or any other target, and will be given in more detail later.

Figure 3a Move along the 8-Ball

Figure 3b Align with the docking port

The 8-Ball maneuver can also be used to inspect a space craft, to look for any damage, or to determine a safe course to approach it. This maneuver is also useful when trying to make an emergency docking with a space craft that is tumbling out or control.

 

 

[ Home ] [ Up ]

Send mail to customerservice@fly-zero-g.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2005 Millennium Aviation & Aerospace
Last modified: 01/26/11