What is crossrange and downrange for an entry vehicle?

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I have been searching the terms online but still can't get a more intuitive understanding. If you could refer me to some website, book or if you could offer me an explanation I would really appreciate it!
Thanks!










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    5












    $begingroup$


    I have been searching the terms online but still can't get a more intuitive understanding. If you could refer me to some website, book or if you could offer me an explanation I would really appreciate it!
    Thanks!










    share|improve this question









    $endgroup$














      5












      5








      5





      $begingroup$


      I have been searching the terms online but still can't get a more intuitive understanding. If you could refer me to some website, book or if you could offer me an explanation I would really appreciate it!
      Thanks!










      share|improve this question









      $endgroup$




      I have been searching the terms online but still can't get a more intuitive understanding. If you could refer me to some website, book or if you could offer me an explanation I would really appreciate it!
      Thanks!







      reentry entry-descent-landing






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      asked Feb 10 at 19:18









      dareToDiffer07dareToDiffer07

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          $begingroup$

          Downrange is the distance traveled in the direction of flight. Imagine the orbit of a spacecraft as a circle around the Earth, 'downrange' is the distance traveled along this path. When you do a ballistic (uncontrolled) reentry, this is the path you travel.



          enter image description here



          Crossrange comes into play when you make a turn, and you deviate from your orbit. It's the distance between the spacecraft and the path of its original orbit.



          enter image description here



          My own image, it's a top view of the original orbit and the effect of making a turn early in the reentry trajectory.



          The Shuttle was capable of a large crossrange distance on reentry: they wanted to be able to land ~2000 km away from the orbital path. This meant they could launch from Vandenberg in California into a polar orbit, make 1 orbit and then land back in California. That 1 orbit took 90 minutes, in which the Earth rotated by ~2000 km, so a downrange landing would put the Shuttle in the Pacific, 2000 km off the West coast.






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          • $begingroup$
            IIRC, the crossrange capability was a USAF requirement as they were going to buy some shuttles too. Then they didn't and NASA was stuck with the design.
            $endgroup$
            – GdD
            Feb 11 at 9:07










          • $begingroup$
            Thank you very much! Your explanation and the paper helped me a lot!
            $endgroup$
            – dareToDiffer07
            Feb 11 at 13:34










          Your Answer





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          1 Answer
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          1 Answer
          1






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          active

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          5












          $begingroup$

          Downrange is the distance traveled in the direction of flight. Imagine the orbit of a spacecraft as a circle around the Earth, 'downrange' is the distance traveled along this path. When you do a ballistic (uncontrolled) reentry, this is the path you travel.



          enter image description here



          Crossrange comes into play when you make a turn, and you deviate from your orbit. It's the distance between the spacecraft and the path of its original orbit.



          enter image description here



          My own image, it's a top view of the original orbit and the effect of making a turn early in the reentry trajectory.



          The Shuttle was capable of a large crossrange distance on reentry: they wanted to be able to land ~2000 km away from the orbital path. This meant they could launch from Vandenberg in California into a polar orbit, make 1 orbit and then land back in California. That 1 orbit took 90 minutes, in which the Earth rotated by ~2000 km, so a downrange landing would put the Shuttle in the Pacific, 2000 km off the West coast.






          share|improve this answer









          $endgroup$












          • $begingroup$
            IIRC, the crossrange capability was a USAF requirement as they were going to buy some shuttles too. Then they didn't and NASA was stuck with the design.
            $endgroup$
            – GdD
            Feb 11 at 9:07










          • $begingroup$
            Thank you very much! Your explanation and the paper helped me a lot!
            $endgroup$
            – dareToDiffer07
            Feb 11 at 13:34















          5












          $begingroup$

          Downrange is the distance traveled in the direction of flight. Imagine the orbit of a spacecraft as a circle around the Earth, 'downrange' is the distance traveled along this path. When you do a ballistic (uncontrolled) reentry, this is the path you travel.



          enter image description here



          Crossrange comes into play when you make a turn, and you deviate from your orbit. It's the distance between the spacecraft and the path of its original orbit.



          enter image description here



          My own image, it's a top view of the original orbit and the effect of making a turn early in the reentry trajectory.



          The Shuttle was capable of a large crossrange distance on reentry: they wanted to be able to land ~2000 km away from the orbital path. This meant they could launch from Vandenberg in California into a polar orbit, make 1 orbit and then land back in California. That 1 orbit took 90 minutes, in which the Earth rotated by ~2000 km, so a downrange landing would put the Shuttle in the Pacific, 2000 km off the West coast.






          share|improve this answer









          $endgroup$












          • $begingroup$
            IIRC, the crossrange capability was a USAF requirement as they were going to buy some shuttles too. Then they didn't and NASA was stuck with the design.
            $endgroup$
            – GdD
            Feb 11 at 9:07










          • $begingroup$
            Thank you very much! Your explanation and the paper helped me a lot!
            $endgroup$
            – dareToDiffer07
            Feb 11 at 13:34













          5












          5








          5





          $begingroup$

          Downrange is the distance traveled in the direction of flight. Imagine the orbit of a spacecraft as a circle around the Earth, 'downrange' is the distance traveled along this path. When you do a ballistic (uncontrolled) reentry, this is the path you travel.



          enter image description here



          Crossrange comes into play when you make a turn, and you deviate from your orbit. It's the distance between the spacecraft and the path of its original orbit.



          enter image description here



          My own image, it's a top view of the original orbit and the effect of making a turn early in the reentry trajectory.



          The Shuttle was capable of a large crossrange distance on reentry: they wanted to be able to land ~2000 km away from the orbital path. This meant they could launch from Vandenberg in California into a polar orbit, make 1 orbit and then land back in California. That 1 orbit took 90 minutes, in which the Earth rotated by ~2000 km, so a downrange landing would put the Shuttle in the Pacific, 2000 km off the West coast.






          share|improve this answer









          $endgroup$



          Downrange is the distance traveled in the direction of flight. Imagine the orbit of a spacecraft as a circle around the Earth, 'downrange' is the distance traveled along this path. When you do a ballistic (uncontrolled) reentry, this is the path you travel.



          enter image description here



          Crossrange comes into play when you make a turn, and you deviate from your orbit. It's the distance between the spacecraft and the path of its original orbit.



          enter image description here



          My own image, it's a top view of the original orbit and the effect of making a turn early in the reentry trajectory.



          The Shuttle was capable of a large crossrange distance on reentry: they wanted to be able to land ~2000 km away from the orbital path. This meant they could launch from Vandenberg in California into a polar orbit, make 1 orbit and then land back in California. That 1 orbit took 90 minutes, in which the Earth rotated by ~2000 km, so a downrange landing would put the Shuttle in the Pacific, 2000 km off the West coast.







          share|improve this answer












          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer










          answered Feb 10 at 19:54









          HobbesHobbes

          92.8k2258413




          92.8k2258413











          • $begingroup$
            IIRC, the crossrange capability was a USAF requirement as they were going to buy some shuttles too. Then they didn't and NASA was stuck with the design.
            $endgroup$
            – GdD
            Feb 11 at 9:07










          • $begingroup$
            Thank you very much! Your explanation and the paper helped me a lot!
            $endgroup$
            – dareToDiffer07
            Feb 11 at 13:34
















          • $begingroup$
            IIRC, the crossrange capability was a USAF requirement as they were going to buy some shuttles too. Then they didn't and NASA was stuck with the design.
            $endgroup$
            – GdD
            Feb 11 at 9:07










          • $begingroup$
            Thank you very much! Your explanation and the paper helped me a lot!
            $endgroup$
            – dareToDiffer07
            Feb 11 at 13:34















          $begingroup$
          IIRC, the crossrange capability was a USAF requirement as they were going to buy some shuttles too. Then they didn't and NASA was stuck with the design.
          $endgroup$
          – GdD
          Feb 11 at 9:07




          $begingroup$
          IIRC, the crossrange capability was a USAF requirement as they were going to buy some shuttles too. Then they didn't and NASA was stuck with the design.
          $endgroup$
          – GdD
          Feb 11 at 9:07












          $begingroup$
          Thank you very much! Your explanation and the paper helped me a lot!
          $endgroup$
          – dareToDiffer07
          Feb 11 at 13:34




          $begingroup$
          Thank you very much! Your explanation and the paper helped me a lot!
          $endgroup$
          – dareToDiffer07
          Feb 11 at 13:34

















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