Sunrise *behind* Enterprise after launch in ST1

[Chuck4]

Whether the enterprise is moving ass end first in relation to the earth as it departs space dock depends on whether the dock and the ship is in a prograde or retrograde orbit.

It's in neither, the Enterprise, the drydock and the station (I'm calling "the group") are geostationary above the city of San Francisco. Nor is the group in a geosynchronous orbit, from geosynchronous orbit the Earth is only 17.3 degrees wide, that like a 22 inch circle seen from 6 feet away. Checkout the pictures in the OP, the Enterprise (and earlier the group) are only a few hundred miles up.

A geostationary position is by definition prograde. It is revolving around the earth in the same direction as well as angular rate as earth's rotation.

I also think it is unlike the group is geostationary without being geosynchronous. If it were, everything in the group have to constantly apply power and expand energy to fight earth's gravity to keep station. In this case, A star ship without functioning engines like the enterprise undergoing refit would have to be physically held up, and wouldn't just float effortlessly in the middle of its refit dock. The guys in EVA suits summersaulting around the enterprise in the dock would also not just float, but need their own anti grave and power source to hold them up.

 

[inflatabledalek]

That's not the Earth's sun, it's the one that shines out of Kirk's arse.

 

[T'Girl]

Thisd is what I believe is happening, not just in this instants, but also when the Enterprise is over a fixed spot on a planet.

... A star ship without functioning engines like the enterprise undergoing refit would have to be physically held up, and wouldn't just float effortlessly in the middle of its refit dock.

This is part of what the 'drydock" does, think about it, doesn't the drydock seem overly massive if all it's doing is holding arrays of lights?

Part of what it is doing is holding the ship at that altitude, an artificial gravity bubble. I think it also provides shields to protect the people working on the ship from solar radiation if needed.