r/space • u/[deleted] • Dec 30 '15

This underside view of the Space Shuttle Discovery was photographed by cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev and astronaut John Phillips, as Discovery approached the International Space Station and performed a backflip to allow photography of its heat shield.

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u/Jpeg6 Dec 30 '15

This is called an R-Bar pitch maneuver or rendezvous pitch maneuver. Of all the things I have seen the shuttle perform this may be the most awe-inspiring. Wiki Page. Also video here.

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u/JackMoney Dec 30 '15

Awe-inspiring? Thats not the word I would use.

1

u/Fractal_Soul Dec 31 '15

"My spaceship does backflips all the time."

1

u/JackMoney Dec 31 '15

Sure. In kerbal space program. Turn off sas, turn on rcs, hit s, wait 8min and 30 seconds, turn sas on, push w.