Steve_the_Deev - 2/12/2005 4:00 AMWhat NASA did do which I think is totally cool is after the SRBs were kicked off the Shuttle stack including ET with some cryos still in it. They rolled the Shuttled so the Shuttle was on top until they dropped of the ET after MECO. Like a Polo player riding his horse!
Steve_the_Deev - 2/12/2005 4:00 AMOK I found out why the fist roll program about T+15 secs? I contacted Dave "Shuttle Guy" and here is his explanation:Hi Steve' I have registered there as shuttle_guy but have not made the time to post. My understanding of the Roll is to maintain a zero angle of attack on the Orbiter wings otherwise they would fail. There is not enough dynamic pressure at SRB sep to worry about vehicle attitude. ET sep is the same plus there is no worry about foam loss around the umbilical again due to the low dynamic pressure. After SRB sep foam loss is not a concern due to the low dynamic pressure, no matter how big the foam piece is. My only problem with Shuttle Guys answer and I admire and respect him but on reentry dont the wings take one heck of a beating too?
Dana - 3/12/2005 5:21 AMIt also probably has to do with weight distribution and also positions the vehicle for the RTLS (Return To Launch Site) abort mode, a truly scary split-S maneuver that thankfully has never been used.
Mark Max Q - 3/12/2005 1:42 PMQuoteDana - 3/12/2005 5:21 AMIt also probably has to do with weight distribution and also positions the vehicle for the RTLS (Return To Launch Site) abort mode, a truly scary split-S maneuver that thankfully has never been used.What is this maneuver and why is it scary?
MarkD - 10/3/2007 7:42 PMIn documentary footage of the Apollo flights, the big Saturn V also does a roll/pitch program. The thread on the Good video of Apollo 11 you can hear the crew say they had done the maneauver right after clearing the tower. Though with the shuttle it's easy to see the vehicle did such a thing, not with the earlier rockets.
MarkD - 10/3/2007 4:42 PMIn documentary footage of the Apollo flights, the big Saturn V also does a roll/pitch program. The thread on the Good video of Apollo 11 you can hear the crew say they had done the maneauver right after clearing the tower. Though with the shuttle it's easy to see the vehicle did such a thing, not with the earlier rockets.
kneecaps - 10/3/2007 4:40 PMDespite being a rather long dead thread, the answer to the question was left unanswered (correctly anyway), the stack rolls to target the correct orbital insertion plane. Since the pads are the same ones used for Apollo they are facing the wrong way to allow the shuttle stack to lauch into the correct plane without the roll.