# From launch to docking at Space Station: how long?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-launch-to-docking-at-space-station-how-long/356131>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 9, 2006, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-launch-to-docking-at-space-station-how-long/356131 "2006-05-09T21:23:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![gitfiddle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2006, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-launch-to-docking-at-space-station-how-long/356131/1 "2006-05-09T21:23:44Z")

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How long does it take for the shuttles to go from take off to docking of the space station? Vice versa?

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**Author:** ![JimOfAllTrades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@JimOfAllTrades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimOfAllTrades)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2006, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-launch-to-docking-at-space-station-how-long/356131/2 "2006-05-09T22:07:32Z")

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Looking at the last few shuttle missions that docked with the ISS, it seems like they usually dock about 2 days after liftoff, and re-enter and land 2 to 3 days after undocking.

I don’t know if that time is required to match orbits, or if it just policy.

See sites like these for details:

[http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/archives/sts-113/](http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/archives/sts-113/)

> **[STS-114](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS-114)**
>
> STS-114 was the first "Return to Flight" Space Shuttle mission following the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. Discovery launched at 10:39 EDT (14:39 UTC) on its 31st flight on July 26, 2005. The launch, 907 days (approx. 29 months) after the loss of Columbia, was approved despite unresolved fuel sensor anomalies in the external tank that had prevented the shuttle from launching on July 13, its originally scheduled date. The mission ended on August 9, 2005, when Discovery landed at Edwards Air Fo...

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**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-launch-to-docking-at-space-station-how-long/356131/3 "2006-05-10T00:01:44Z")

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[QUOTE=gitfiddle]  
How long does it take for the shuttles to go from take off to docking of the space station? Vice versa?  
[/QUOTE]

I was told once that it takes 7 minutes of thrust to reach low earth orbit where the ISS is. It takes a couple of days to slide into the correct orbit.

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**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-launch-to-docking-at-space-station-how-long/356131/4 "2006-05-10T00:30:37Z")

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Does it really always take 7 days? If everything were absolutely optimum, couldn’t the Shuttle reach the ISS in less than one orbit? Say the ISS has a circular orbit at 200 miles above sea level, then could not the Shuttle achieve that same orbit in less than one revolution around the earth?