Beta angle result of the beta angle of the space station at those times. When the orbiter was in-flight (not docked to ISS) and it flew to a beta angle greater than 60 degrees, the orbiter went into "rotisserie" mode, and slowly rotated around its X-axis (nose to tail axis). For flights to ISS, the shuttle could launch during an ISS beta cutout if the ISS would be at a beta less than 60 degrees at dock, and throughout the docked phase. Therefore, the mission duration affected launch timing when the beta cutout dates were approaching. Beta angle The beta angle (formula_1)
Skinny triangle based on the small-angle approximations; and, when formula_5 is in radians. The proof of the skinny triangle solution follows from the small-angle approximation by applying the law of sines. Again referring to figure 1; The term formula_7 represents the base angle of the triangle and is this value because the sum of the internal angles of any triangle (in this case the two base angles plus "θ") are equal to "π". Applying the small angle approximations to the law of sines above results in; the desired result. This result is equivalent to assuming that the length of the base of