Quote:
Originally Posted by Ject
I have always wondered how the hell those things land so close to each other when they look miles apart when they separate in space. Also how they know where they'll land and not re-enter over china lol.
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Because everything about a Space Shuttle mission is on a tight schedule. Including launch. Everything happens at a specific time even down to the millisecond. Plus, when the Space Shuttle drops the Solid Rocket Boosters, it hasn't traveled far enough to even be near China. Also, they have to release them at a point where they're low enough for them to be able to fall back to Earth without bursting into flames, where they have enough zero gravity to depend on just the Shuttle's three main engines, and when the fuel in the Solid Rocket Boosters are spent.