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#420
by
DavarGott
on 03 Jun, 2009 04:46
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Someone explained earlier that the orbiter/SCA can't fly at pressures lower than 8 psia because no systems are powered up. I don't understand why that matters, when no one is in the shuttle during the ferry flight. The 747 is pressurized, and that's where the pilots/flight engineers are. Are the mechanical and hydraulics systems on-board the shuttle really so fragile that they would rupture were the pressure too low?
As a physics teacher, I have a theory from a fluid dynamics standpoint: In order to generate enough buoyancy force (lift) to counteract the weight of the joined craft, they need a higher air pressure than the 747 alone would normally require.
I'm not an aeronautical expert, though, (at least not yet!), so I'd appreciate it if someone could do into more detail about the pressure issue.
Thanks.
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#421
by
Jorge
on 03 Jun, 2009 04:53
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Someone explained earlier that the orbiter/SCA can't fly at pressures lower than 8 psia because no systems are powered up.
That sounds garbled to me. The 8 psia limit is for the air-cooled equipment. They can't be cooled effectively at lower pressures and will overheat and fail. Of course, that is only if they are powered up.
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#422
by
pippin
on 03 Jun, 2009 14:41
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One thing:
Weather looked rather wet. Do they apply new waterproofing to the tiles before ferry flights?
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#423
by
rdale
on 03 Jun, 2009 14:56
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They don't fly through rain.
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#424
by
voyager
on 03 Jun, 2009 15:08
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One thing:
Weather looked rather wet. Do they apply new waterproofing to the tiles before ferry flights?
They do not apply waterproofing prior to ferry flight. It is only applied during orbiter processing for spaceflight. If it gets wet at the SLF we will have to IR scan and dry out the wet areas prior to rollout to VAB.
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#425
by
Lawntonlookirs
on 03 Jun, 2009 15:17
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One thing:
Weather looked rather wet. Do they apply new waterproofing to the tiles before ferry flights?
They do not apply waterproofing prior to ferry flight. It is only applied during orbiter processing for spaceflight. If it gets wet at the SLF we will have to IR scan and dry out the wet areas prior to rollout to VAB.
Here is a link on the waterproofing that may be of interest as it has been talked about.
http://www-lib.ksc.nasa.gov/lib/public/edocuments/shuttle_tile_waterproofing.pdf
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#426
by
pippin
on 03 Jun, 2009 15:47
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Thanks.
On the fist pictures on the landing in Florida it looked like it was raining so I was curious.
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#427
by
ChrisGebhardt
on 03 Jun, 2009 16:49
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Flightaware typically has a ~6 minute lag.
The SCA appears to fly a very shallow approach. No flight route NOTAMs that I can tell. So if someone's flying up the coast along New Smyrna Beach in a Cessna... They get to watch the SCA go barreling by?
Yes... and it was an awesome sight!
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#428
by
psloss
on 03 Jun, 2009 16:51
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#429
by
Orbiter
on 03 Jun, 2009 17:12
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Atlantis sure likes Edwards.
Now its time to get ready for STS-129.
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#430
by
Lewis007
on 03 Jun, 2009 17:14
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#431
by
psloss
on 03 Jun, 2009 17:33
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Atlantis sure likes Edwards.
Eh, no more than Discovery. (Or even Endeavour since it started flying.)
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#432
by
johng
on 03 Jun, 2009 18:09
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Flightaware typically has a ~6 minute lag.
The SCA appears to fly a very shallow approach. No flight route NOTAMs that I can tell. So if someone's flying up the coast along New Smyrna Beach in a Cessna... They get to watch the SCA go barreling by?
Yes... and it was an awesome sight!
I've seen the SCA come back 3 times now and that was the most conservative flying I've seen of the 3. Gear was down for the initial SLF flyby, and the pattern after that was large. All in close flying appeared to be about 500 feet high.
I was sitting at the approach end of 15, about at the 14k mark. The 747 carried a lot of power until it was way past me. In my pics it looks like touchdown was near the 11k mark. So, yeah, a shallow approach.
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#433
by
DaveS
on 03 Jun, 2009 19:52
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They're lowering Atlantis to Weight on Wheels(WOW) in the MDD right now. Lowering to Weight on Nose-Gear(WONG) will suit after WOW.
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#434
by
glanmor05
on 04 Jun, 2009 08:19
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Is Atlantis back in her OPF yet? If not, when is this likely to be so?
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#435
by
aurora899
on 04 Jun, 2009 10:26
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Atlantis sure likes Edwards.
Eh, no more than Discovery. (Or even Endeavour since it started flying.)
Does anyone know which Orbiter holds the record for the most ferry flights? I assume that it's Discovery but without looking back through the records I don't know what percentage of her landings have been at Edwards, as compared to Atlantis.
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#436
by
voyager
on 04 Jun, 2009 10:31
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Is Atlantis back in her OPF yet? If not, when is this likely to be so?
Atlantis was spotted in OPF Bay-1 at 0049 EDT (1st attempt) this morning.
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#437
by
glanmor05
on 04 Jun, 2009 10:59
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Cheers!
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#438
by
voyager
on 04 Jun, 2009 12:21
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Probably a good time to start a STS-129 section (hint-hint for Chris).
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#439
by
Chris Bergin
on 04 Jun, 2009 12:40
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Yes sir!
Just writing up the aforementioned update on her returning back to the OPF into an article - along with a fleet update - and will use that article to kick off the 129 processing thread.
