Endeavour STS-123 Rendezvous pitch maneuver

The RBAR pitch maneuver (RPM) (popularly called the rendezvous pitch maneuver) is a maneuver performed by the space shuttle as it rendezvous with the International Space Station prior to docking.

At a small distance from the ISS, usually around 600 feet (180 meters), the shuttle performs a slow 360° pitch, during which it exposes its underside, the heat shield, to the ISS. The crew inside the ISS visually inspects and photographs the heat shield to determine whether or not it has been damaged during liftoff and ascent. This maneuver requires skilled piloting, as the shuttle commander must fly very close to the ISS without the station always in full view.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Endeavour
• STS-123
• NASA
• Space
• shuttle
• Dextre
• CSA

[piergiorgiovico]

NASA!! it's Great congratulation!!!

[kf6olc]

That is so cool to watch the Space Shuttle do a back flip in space. Thanks for sharing

[Roadracer987654321]

This is Wild. a Second Generation of Orbiters should be Built. some should be larger than the First shuttles. Others shoudl be 2 seaters and smaller for mssions of lesser payloads and different objective. Atlantis,Discovery,Endeavour,C­olumbia, Challenger and Enterprise were the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria of our Time.

Tragedy took two of these Vehicles from us before their time.