Question concerning the orbit of the Space Shuttle?

Question

When I watch the NASA channel sometimes, I noticed that the orbit of the shuttle (and the space station for that matter) is sort of zig-zaged instead of a straight line over the earth map.

Why is this?

Does it turn while it's up there and change course......or am I just seeing things on the map?

Thanks....

Thanks guys...
I guess the map on the TV plays tricks with my mind. It really appears as if it's looping up and down instead of a straight line.....

I need glasses.....but I get it now

You know....the more I think about this...the more I realize that this was probably the dumbest question I've ever asked here. I actuall drew an earth map on a piece of paper and tried a little visual experiment......makes a whole lot more sense now!

Thanks again folks.

Answer 1

Its not a dumb question at all. One of the best things my mother did for me when I was a kid (1960s) was by me a special globe that showed the track o fthe flight of John Glenn. Seeing that on a globe that could be turned so I could see how the ground track changed as the orbits and the earth's rotation progressed was an eye-opener--it did more to teach me about how space travel, orbits, etc. worked than all the math and verbal explanations inthe world.

Answer 2

The orbit is not directly over the equator so when it is traced over a flat map you will see it a a curved line.
That line represents its position as it moves north, then south of the equator.
The orbit is consistent but you will notice that the line shifts position on each orbit. If there are several orbits around the earth represented on a single map the traces will NOT be directly over the same geographical locations.
That is because the orbits take about one and a half hours to complete and the earth rotates beneath the space station so, even though the orbits are the same, the earth has changed position.

Answer 3

The turn, or wobble as I like to describe it, is actually an illusion based on the method of plotting the Orbiter's location. On TV, the map on which the orbiter's trajectory is plotted is considered stationary and only the Orbiter moves. However, in reality the Earth is rotating about is rotational axis once every 24 hours (this axis is tilted on its side 23.5 degrees) while the Orbiter orbits the Earth in a curvilinear ellipse. Therefore, while the Orbiter is flying straight, from the Earth's frame of reference the Orbiter is wobbling back and forth about the equater.

This seems complicated, but suffice it to say that the Earth, not the Orbiter, is causing the appearance of the wobble.

Answer 4

That's partly be design, and partly out of necessity.... If a satellite is orbiting directly along the equator, then on the map, it's path would be a straight line across the equator. The shuttle (and station, and most other low-orbit satellites) are *not* launched at the equator, they're launched above it (or below it), so when they orbit the Earth, the orbit Earth's center of gravity - which means there's a line on the map that creates a sine wave above & below the equator.

Answer 5

The Space Station is in an orbit like satellites are. It does not zig zag. The Shuttle is launched in such as way that its orbit will catch up with the Space Station. It has to fire thrusters to align itself perfectly and dock, but again there is no zig zagging. It would be a waste of fuel.

"

Answer 6

It is because the earth is a globe and a map is
a flat piece of paper. If you could take the map
and cut it's outline and join it together, you would
see that the satellite is going in a straight line.

Answer 7

lol primo.... there are no dumb questions! :o)

It's just further proof that not everyone's mind immediately perceives something in an identical fashion.