Difference between revisions of "Heading Alignment Cone"

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The Heading Alignment Cylinder is an imaginary cylinder, used to guide NASA's [[Space Shuttle]] on to the centerline of a runway for landing.
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The '''Heading Alignment Cylinder (HAC)'''  is actually a virtual truncated cone, used to guide NASA's [[Space Shuttle]] onto the centerline of a runway for landing. The radius of a HAC is about 18,000 feet, and will be entered at about 22 NM of altitude. It consists of one smooth turn along with a high rate of descent.
The radius of a HAC is about 18,000 feet, and will be entered at about 22 nm's of altitude. It consists of one 360-degree turn along with a high rate of descent.
 
  
The HAC is followed until landing runway alignment, plus or minus 20 degrees, has been achieved.  
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The '''HAC''' is followed until landing runway alignment, plus or minus 20 degrees, has been achieved.  
  
Once, there was an add-on that visualised the flight path throughout the descent, however this add-on is not found in the Orbithangar.
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Once, there was an add-on that visualized the flight path throughout the descent, however this add-on is not found in the Orbithangar.
  
 
[http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/180633main_EDW219_close.gif]
 
[http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/180633main_EDW219_close.gif]
  
 
''The HAC is cleary shown on the flight path of STS-117.''
 
''The HAC is cleary shown on the flight path of STS-117.''

Revision as of 16:50, 26 June 2007

The Heading Alignment Cylinder (HAC) is actually a virtual truncated cone, used to guide NASA's Space Shuttle onto the centerline of a runway for landing. The radius of a HAC is about 18,000 feet, and will be entered at about 22 NM of altitude. It consists of one smooth turn along with a high rate of descent.

The HAC is followed until landing runway alignment, plus or minus 20 degrees, has been achieved.

Once, there was an add-on that visualized the flight path throughout the descent, however this add-on is not found in the Orbithangar.

[1]

The HAC is cleary shown on the flight path of STS-117.