Shuttle Questions Q & A (Part 4)

[Endeavour118]

on the ascent flight control team video replay who calls out OMPDO and what does that mean

[GLS]

Real Madrid - 8/11/2007  6:30 PM

with space shutttle have the  record for the amount of time spent in the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) before launch?

I think OV-105 has the record (STS-113 - STS-118)...

[nathan.moeller]

GLS - 9/11/2007  12:19 PM

Real Madrid - 8/11/2007  6:30 PM

with space shutttle have the  record for the amount of time spent in the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) before launch?

I think OV-105 has the record (STS-113 - STS-118)...

She wasn't in the hangar the whole time, but I believe that is correct.  I remember them having her in the VAB for a little while and moving her to OPF-2 (I believe Columbia had occupied OPF-2 prior to STS-107, but I could be wrong).  In 2003 or 2004, they placed her in another hangar at KSC for some sort of testing for about a month, then back to OPF-2.

[Real Madrid]

this is the correct answer

The STS-1 orbiter, Columbia, also holds the record for the amount of time spent in the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) before launch — 610 days, time needed for replacement of many of its heat shield tiles.

[psloss]

nathan.moeller - 9/11/2007  1:26 PM

GLS - 9/11/2007  12:19 PM

I think OV-105 has the record (STS-113 - STS-118)...

She wasn't in the hangar the whole time, but I believe that is correct.  I remember them having her in the VAB for a little while and moving her to OPF-2 (I believe Columbia had occupied OPF-2 prior to STS-107, but I could be wrong).  In 2003 or 2004, they placed her in another hangar at KSC for some sort of testing for about a month, then back to OPF-2.

This is why the question is too vague and there can be lots of answers -- is a contiguous 600 day block in the OPF "longer" than the time that either Atlantis or Endeavour spent in OPF bays before they returned to flight after STS-107?  For example, Atlantis rolled over to the VAB and was stacked and destacked twice between STS-112 and STS-115 and the cumulative amount of time spent in the OPF was still much greater than 600 days.

[usn_skwerl]

When houston plays the wake-up music, are the crews onboard the orbiter and ISS usually already awake, or are they literally woken up by the music?

[ShuttleDiscovery]

usn_skwerl - 11/11/2007  11:39 AM

When houston plays the wake-up music, are the crews onboard the orbiter and ISS usually already awake, or are they literally woken up by the music?

I think houston wakes them up and someone replies to say good moorning back and then they play the music...

[PhoenixRising]

Hi All. First post. I have only found this forum recently and it's a great resource with quality info.

I've scoured the shuttle Q&A threads but haven't found the answer to a pretty simple question I have for those in the know..

During and after ET tanking you can see gaseous O2 being vented from the top of the ET via the 'beanie cap', but looking at the SSME's there is a gas being vented from pipes running along the outside of the each of the three SSME bell/nozzles. I think I'm right in saying that this is just part of the normal purge operations, but my question is what is the gas? Is it nitrogen?

Thanks folks.

[DaveS]

PhoenixRising - 11/11/2007  7:02 PM
During and after ET tanking you can see gaseous O2 being vented from the top of the ET via the 'beanie cap', but looking at the SSME's there is a gas being vented from pipes running along the outside of the each of the three SSME bell/nozzles. I think I'm right in saying that this is just part of the normal purge operations, but my question is what is the gas? Is it nitrogen?

Thanks folks.

It's GOX used to "pre-chill" the MPS down to the correct start-box temperatures.

[kimmern123]

ShuttleDiscovery - 11/11/2007  1:02 PM

usn_skwerl - 11/11/2007  11:39 AM

When houston plays the wake-up music, are the crews onboard the orbiter and ISS usually already awake, or are they literally woken up by the music?

I think houston wakes them up and someone replies to say good moorning back and then they play the music...

After what I'm told the crew is supposed to be woken up by the music, but usually most, if not all, of the crewmembers are already awake.

[PhoenixRising]

DaveS - 11/11/2007  12:08 PM

PhoenixRising - 11/11/2007  7:02 PM
During and after ET tanking you can see gaseous O2 being vented from the top of the ET via the 'beanie cap', but looking at the SSME's there is a gas being vented from pipes running along the outside of the each of the three SSME bell/nozzles. I think I'm right in saying that this is just part of the normal purge operations, but my question is what is the gas? Is it nitrogen?

Thanks folks.

It's GOX used to "pre-chill" the MPS down to the correct start-box temperatures.

Thats great thanks for the quick reply. Just a little follow on if I could..

Why is there not a need to remove this GOX away from the ignition site before start?

[DaveS]

PhoenixRising - 11/11/2007  7:35 PM
Why is there not a need to remove this GOX away from the ignition site before start?

Because it isn't explosive and it dissepates quickly.

[ShuttleDiscovery]

kimmern123 - 11/11/2007  6:08 PM

ShuttleDiscovery - 11/11/2007  1:02 PM

usn_skwerl - 11/11/2007  11:39 AM

When houston plays the wake-up music, are the crews onboard the orbiter and ISS usually already awake, or are they literally woken up by the music?

I think houston wakes them up and someone replies to say good moorning back and then they play the music...

After what I'm told the crew is supposed to be woken up by the music, but usually most, if not all, of the crewmembers are already awake.

Sounds about right!  

[PhoenixRising]

DaveS - 11/11/2007  12:38 PM

PhoenixRising - 11/11/2007  7:35 PM
Why is there not a need to remove this GOX away from the ignition site before start?

Because it isn't explosive and it dissepates quickly.

Thanks again. I would have thought 100% gaseous O2 is just as explosive as hydrogen which is removed by the sparkers just before main engine start.

[ShuttleDiscovery]

If the drag chute on the shuttle fails to deploy, given the commander exectutes a nominal approach, will it have enough runway to stop?

I know this happened before STS-92 when there was no drag chute, but did they do the approaches differently to slow down more before touchdown?

Thanks.

[kimmern123]

ShuttleDiscovery - 11/11/2007  8:07 PM

If the drag chute on the shuttle fails to deploy, given the commander exectutes a nominal approach, will it have enough runway to stop?

I know this happened before STS-92 when there was no drag chute, but did they do the approaches differently to slow down more before touchdown?

Thanks.

The runway is long enough for a no-chute landing. Actualy the first flight to fly the drag chute was STS-49, Endeavour's maiden flight. The chute was later incorporated into the remaining orbiters. The approach was not flown differently without the chute.

[Jim]

They just used more runway to brake

[kimmern123]

About how far down the runway does the orbiter go before wheels stop with the drag chute compared to a no-chute landing?

[ShuttleDiscovery]

kimmern123 - 11/11/2007  7:19 PM

Actualy the first flight to fly the drag chute was STS-49, Endeavour's maiden flight.

Oh yeah, I was thinking of the year it flew...

[pr1268]

Question about 3g throttling:  How much faster would the acceleration be at MECO if the shuttle did NOT throttle back prior to MECO?    Also, is the 3g throttling designed for crew comfort, vehicle design limits, or both?  Thanks in advance.