Talk:STS-42
Add topicLatest comment: 12 years ago by Pikador
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I think distance travelled is wrong - it's probably 2,921,150 NM (nautical miles) not mi (international or statute mile). Encyclopedia Astronautica is giving 5,407,122 km which is right I think. Let's calculate in approximation assuming space shuttle is all time on circular orbit (start and landing have very little impact on the whole flight): earth radius 6,378.41 km + 299 km (average height of orbit) = 6,677.41 km (from center of Earth to average orbit).
Length of the circumference of orbit: 2 π R = 41,955.4044
Total distance: 129 orbits x 41,955.4044 km = 5,412,247 km - very close to distance given by Encyclopedia Astronautica, and very different from 4,701,140 in STS-42 article here. Pikador (talk) 08:50, 3 June 2014 (UTC)