censored_username t1_j5ythbs wrote
Reply to comment by quetric in Why do sample return missions such as OSIRIS-REx use their own reentry vehicles instead of just going to the space station for pickup and return with ISS equipment? by PromptCritical725
Eh, you would design your approach so you intersect the ISS orbit at your perigee. Then decelerate just enough to get a highly eccentric orbit (or a weakly stable one), match inclination at apogee and then decelerate further at perigee.
Still, that would require a restartable motor with >4km/s delta V, which implies at least like 80% of your vehicle being storable propellants. A heat shield is simply lighter.
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