how does discovery orbits in space, does it burn fuel to keep itself in orbit?

Answer 1

Any satellite or moving mass is propelled by some type of fuel only
to initiate its guidance and launch, enough to get it into orbiting space.
Once the trajectory has completed its burn-through, the engines go off, and from then on the propulsion comes from free orbiting
space, as there is no gravity, space is an open vacuum, so
once you get an object underway, it will propel itself indefinitely,
until side or main thrusters are again lit off, and any correctional
guidance control may then be initiated.
I course, that can be corrected through re-alignment of
the pitch and yaw adjusters or thrusters, this feature is incorporated in what they call telemetry, where the computer compensates the guidance control of the ship, and steers it according to the new coordinates.

Talk to any of NASA's launch or flight control managers and technicians, they will be glad to explain the entire technical workings of how the Mercury/Appllo/Space Shuttle/Voyager
satellite programs came into being, if you have time, its involved.

Maybe NASA has a page on the web, where you could send them an email, and request further information tailored to your needs.


Thats my message, good luck.


Donald H. Sites
[e-mail]

Answer 2

It orbits Earth by traveling horizontally fast enough that it literally misses hitting the Earth -- its speed is maintained because it's in free-fall and there is nothing to slow it down. Well, there is a tiny amount of atmospheric drag, but it would take many years for that to decay its orbit.

Look at the International Space Station: it has no engines, just attitude-adjustment thrusters. It stays up. So do countless other satellites, including the Moon.

Answer 3

An orbit is not like powered flight. The speed is sufficient to keep the spacecraft missing the earth as it's pulled down. It's balanced so it stays at about the same altitude.

Answer 4

It may need little boosts once in a while since it is not very far up and may have a slight drag from the atmosphere (very very thin atmosphere) Even 100 miles up there are a few particels and eventually their friction has an effect. If it were farther away, it would never need a boost, like the moon.