Aug.8 STS-114 Return to Earth - Updates and Images thread

[SimonShuttle]

Why did they open the payload doors again? What purpose does that serve or help and it seems a waste of power opening and closing again.

[norm103]

Due to the readers in the doors.

[JamesSpaceFlight]

What are the readers?

[Stardust9906]

SimonShuttle - 8/8/2005  12:10 PM

Why did they open the payload doors again? What purpose does that serve or help and it seems a waste of power opening and closing again.

The doors have radiators on the inside that need to be exposed to space in order to provide cooling for the orbiter electronics.

[rhwinger]

I think it's radiators?  There are radiators inside the payload bay doors that are used to dissapate heat from the avionics, environmental control systems, etc... They can only reject heat when the doors are open and exposed to space.

There is a "flash boiler" cooling system that is used to provide cooling during launch and re-entry, but it is limited in it's capability or capacity.  Don't know enough about the system to say if the cooling medium is consumed during operation, or if it can't handle the load during extended periods of operation?

[rhwinger]

Sorry Stardust, didn't mean to echo you.

[Stardust9906]

rhwinger - 8/8/2005  12:36 PM

Sorry Stardust, didn't mean to echo you.

No problem.

[rhwinger]

SimonShuttle:

Not to beat a dead horse, but I thought your question deserved a better answer.  From "How Stuff Works":

Temperature Control
Outer space is an extremely cold environment and temperatures will vary drastically in different parts of the orbiter. You might think that heating the orbiter would be a problem. However, the electronic equipment generates more than enough heat for the ship. The problem is getting rid of the excess heat. So the temperature control system has to carry out two major functions:

• Distribute heat where it is needed on the orbiter (mid-fuselage and aft sections) so that vital systems do not freeze in the cold of space.
• Get rid of the excess heat.

To do this, the shuttle has two methods to handle temperature control:

• Passive methods - generally simple, handle small heat loads and require little maintenance
  • Insulating materials (blankets), surface coatings, paints - reduce heat loss through the walls of the various components just like your home insulation.
  • Electrical heaters - use electrically-heated wires like a toaster to heat various areas.
• Active methods - more complex, use fluid to handle large heat loads, require maintenance
  • Cold plates - metal plates that collect heat by direct contact with equipment or conduction
  • Heat exchangers - collect heat from equipment using fluid. The equipment radiates heat to a fluid (water, ammonia) which in turn passes heat on to freon. Both fluids are pumped and recirculated to remove heat.
  • Pumps, lines, valves - transport the collected heat from one area to another.
  • Radiators - located on the inside surfaces of the cargo bay doors that radiate the collected heat to outer space
  • Flash evaporator/ammonia boilers - these devices are located in the aft fuselage and transfer heat from Freon coolant loops overboard when cargo bay doors are closed or when cargo bay radiators are overloaded.
    • Flash evaporator
      1. Freon coolant loops wrap around an inner core.
      2. The evaporator sprays water on the heated core.
      3. The water evaporates removing heat.
      4. The water vapor is vented overboard.
    • Ammonia boiler
      1. Freon coolant loops pass through a tank of pressurized ammonia.
      2. Heat released from the freon causes the ammonia to boil.
      3. Ammonia vapor is dumped overboard.

The cabin heat exchanger also controls the cabin temperature. It circulates cool water to remove excess heat (cabin air is also used to cool electronic equipment) and transfers this heat to a Freon exchanger. The Freon then transfers the heat to other orbiter systems (e.g., cryogenic gas tanks, hydraulic systems) and radiates excess heat to outer space.

[Chris Bergin]

Right, shall we go to a new thread for the next attempt. Note, they've said they are going to land today whatever - providing Discovery doesn't have a fault.

[catdlr]

bump...

Dryden Prepares Discovery for Ferry Flight back to KSC - Part 1

NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center
Published on Jul 17, 2017


This 43-second video from August of 2005 uses infrared photography to show the night landing of Discovery STS-114 at Edwards Air Force Base.

[catdlr]

Dryden Prepares Discovery for Ferry Flight back to KSC - Part 2

NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center
Published on Jul 17, 2017

This 66-second video taken in August of 2005 shows the post-landing activities following the landing of space shuttle Discovery on STS-114.  The video includes the Shuttle crew's inspection of the orbiter's exterior.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD17ean8UY8?t=001

[catdlr]

Dryden Prepares Discovery for Ferry Flight Back to KSC - Part 3

NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center
Published on Jul 17, 2017


This 51-second video from August of 2005 shows Shuttle Discovery being hoisted onto the Mate-DeMate Facility (MDD) at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (now Armstrong)  in California.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8-9dwR8DIw?t=001

[catdlr]

Dryden Prepares Discovery for Ferry Flight back to KSC - Part 4

NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center
Published on Jul 17, 2017


This 63-second video from August of 2005 shows the preparation of Shuttle Discover for loading onto NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft in the Mate-DeMate Facility at Dryden Flight Research Center (now Armstrong).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nldINPMTp8?t=001

[catdlr]

Dryden Prepares Discovery for Ferry Flight back to KSC - Part 5

NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center
Published on Jul 17, 2017


This 33-second movie clip shows Discovery being loaded onto NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft in the Mate-DeMate Facility (MDD) at Dryden.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ohJepXXrSg?t=001

[catdlr]

Dryden Prepares Discovery for Ferry Flight back to KSC - Part 6

NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center
Published on Jul 17, 2017


This 52-second video from August of 2005 shows the takeoff of NASA's 747 and Discovery STS-114 from Edwards Air Force Base at the beginning of the return flight to Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWi3Hh1OoY8?t=001

[catdlr]

More extended version of the above video:

NASA 747 Aircraft Transports Shuttle Home | STS-114 Discovery

Oct 1, 2025  #nasa #spaceshuttlevideoarchive #pilotlife
Footage shows the NASA 905, a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, transporting a space shuttle Discovery home following the return-to-flight STS-114 mission. This unique airplane was initially obtained from American Airlines in 1970 and played a crucial role in the space program. See the aircraft takeoff with a Shuttle!

Discovery Crewmembers:
Commander: Eileen Collins
Pilot: James Kelly
Mission Specialist 1: Soichi Noguchi
Mission Specialist 2: Stephen Robinson
Mission Specialist 3: Andrew Thomas
Mission Specialist 4: Wendy Lawrence
Mission Specialist 5: Charles Camarda