Idea Roadster Rendezvous

[flytandem]

Wondering who might be first to model a Roadster in a solar orbit matching the resulting orbit following real Spacex heavy launch yesterday. Would make for a fun "Roadster Rendezvous" scenario.

 

[steph]

Launch astronaut on Tesla, then use a DG to catch up and do a manual transfer?

 

[francisdrake]

You could use the FalconHeavy double launch scenario. Replace one payload with the roadster, the other one with a manned Dragon and rescue starman from a long and cold journey to the asteroid belt.

Better do this while still in low Earth orbit. I am not sure if the Dragon can make it back home after the escape burn.

 

[Marijn]

According to Dr Marco Langbroek, who actually photographed the Roadster on the 10th of february, the orbital solution is:

Tp 2018-2-4.017009 JD 2458153.517009
Epoch 2018 Apr 2.0 TT JDT 2458210.5
M 36.82343
n 0.64621805 Peri. 177.44793
a 1.32500237 Node 317.13828
e 0.2557828 Incl. 1.07763
P 1.53/557.08d
q 0.98608954 Q 1.66391520

I am not sure how these numbers can be used in the Scenario Editor. But that would give us the exact orbit.

Bringing Starman home would make a fun scenario.

https://twitter.com/Marco_Langbroek

 

[Marijn]

Ok, this set seems to be quite accurate:

Orbit reference: Sun, ecliptic
Epoch: MJD 58165

SMa: 1.3293 AU
Ecc: 0.258223
Inc: 1.0872 deg
LAN: 317.34 deg
LPe: 134.67 deg
eps: 142.772 deg