Shuttle Questions Q & A (Part 4)

[pr1268]

What is the difference between a "standard" and "direct" insertion orbit?  Did I read somewhere else in these forums that standard-insertion orbits are no longer used?  If so, why not?  Does the type of orbital insertion depend on the inclination?  Thanks in advance for satisfying my curiosity.

[DaveS]

pr1268 - 11/11/2007  12:13 AM

What is the difference between a "standard" and "direct" insertion orbit?  Did I read somewhere else in these forums that standard-insertion orbits are no longer used?  If so, why not?  Does the type of orbital insertion depend on the inclination?  Thanks in advance for satisfying my curiosity.

Standard insertion: Needs two OMS burn to inject into stable orbit, with OMS-1 occuring very shortly after MECO. Least payload effiecient and was used early in the program.

Direct insertion: Only one OMS burn needed to inject into stable orbit. Most payload efficient as it saves OMS prop and uses the SSMEs to put apogee directly at mission altitude with the single OMS burn just raises the perigee to a safe altitude.

[Jim]

pr1268 - 11/11/2007  6:10 PM
   Also, is the 3g throttling designed for crew comfort, vehicle design limits, or both?  Thanks in advance.

both

[Jim]

pr1268 - 11/11/2007  6:10 PM

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.

Look for the weight of the shuttle at MECO.  Take that and the full thrust of the SSME's and use F=ma to find your answer.  You can use 3g's at 65% thrust to check the anwer

[brahmanknight]

Not sure if this one has been asked before, but I am watching the replay of the STS 122 rollout.  There is a truck going ahead of the stack watering down the crawlerway.  What is the purpose?

[MKremer]

brahmanknight - 14/11/2007  3:12 AM

Not sure if this one has been asked before, but I am watching the replay of the STS 122 rollout.  There is a truck going ahead of the stack watering down the crawlerway.  What is the purpose?

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=10014&start=158

[C5C6]

has anyone got an overview image of the whole Payload Changeout Room Installation??? I've been looking and I've only found text......

[MKremer]

C5C6 - 14/11/2007  5:49 AM

has anyone got an overview image of the whole Payload Changeout Room Installation??? I've been looking and I've only found text......

Kind of too big to get into one picture since it's not that far front-to-rear and the outer doors are pretty much always closed without the canister or orbiter tightly attached.

You can get some good partial pics of different parts and areas, though, by going to the KSC Multimedia page and searching for Payload Changeout Room.

[C5C6]

i've already checked there and i only found pictures of cranes, people, payload and payload bay.....I'm looking for an overview image of the entire place.......

[Lee Jay]

Really?  I think there are a few good ones right now.

http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/detail.cfm?mediaid=34325
http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/detail.cfm?mediaid=34324
http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/detail.cfm?mediaid=34326

[MKremer]

I don't believe I've ever seen a full view of an empty changout room.

[DaveS]

C5C6 - 16/11/2007  1:19 AM

i've already checked there and i only found pictures of cranes, people, payload and payload bay.....I'm looking for an overview image of the entire place.......

Well, here you go. Two images courtesy of http://www.capcomespace.net :

[Andy_Small]

Here's an off the wall question I just thought of:

When they were doing the ALT tests how did the flight crew get into Enterprise?  Did they have a big ladder?  Or did they get into her before she was mated to the 747

Thanks

[kimmern123]

How much training in the Shuttle Mission Simulator do the pilot astronauts go through before getting a chance to fly their first STA-approach? And what sort of training do they go through to be allowed to fly the STA, apart from learning the approach procedures?

[Jim]

Andy_Small - 16/11/2007  5:47 PM

Here's an off the wall question I just thought of:

When they were doing the ALT tests how did the flight crew get into Enterprise?  Did they have a big ladder?  Or did they get into her before she was mated to the 747

Thanks

The MDD provided access.  For captive flights, a cherry picker was used to remove the crew

[shuttlefan]

Jim - 17/11/2007  7:21 AM

Andy_Small - 16/11/2007  5:47 PM

Here's an off the wall question I just thought of:

When they were doing the ALT tests how did the flight crew get into Enterprise?  Did they have a big ladder?  Or did they get into her before she was mated to the 747

Thanks

The MDD provided access.  For captive flights, a cherry picker was used to remove the crew

Just in case you don't know, Andy_Small, MDD stands for Mate/Demate Device.

[Andy_Small]

shuttlefan - 17/11/2007  7:41 AM

Jim - 17/11/2007  7:21 AM

Andy_Small - 16/11/2007  5:47 PM

Here's an off the wall question I just thought of:

When they were doing the ALT tests how did the flight crew get into Enterprise?  Did they have a big ladder?  Or did they get into her before she was mated to the 747

Thanks

The MDD provided access.  For captive flights, a cherry picker was used to remove the crew

Just in case you don't know, Andy_Small, MDD stands for Mate/Demate Device.

I did know, but thanks.

And thank you Jim

One other question:  Did the pilots get into Enterprise before it was mated or after?

[Jim]

after

[Zoomer30]

I was watching a clip of the STS 1 countdown and I suddenly noticed they retracted the GOVA (bennie cap) WAY early compared to all the shuttle flights I have ever seen, I mean they retracted it during the hold at T-9min even before the CAA was retracted (that came back a few mins after they came out of the hold at T-9mins)

Was this the only time this happened?  I saw STS 1 and I must have missed that part, every other shuttle launch I have seen the GOVA was brought back after the vent was closed and the tank was being bought up to pressure.  Did they change it due to worry of ice build up in the 9mins from the hold to launch?

I dont know if this should go here or in Shuttle QnA, seems like a grey area  

[pippin]

Shuttle Q&A, there's also an answer to this :-)