Shuttle Questions Q & A (Part 3)

• #680 by GLS on 30 Jul, 2007 16:46
• The base of the RBUS (Rolling Beam Umbilical System) is still at the pads. The arm it self was removed between 86-88.
  The base was installed in late 83 or so (39A)... the arm was installed in the summer of 85 (39A), so 7 or so missions had the complete system...
• #681 by Antares on 31 Jul, 2007 16:54
• Any idea why certain streets in the KSC industrial area are 4 lanes instead of 2?  5th west of C.  All of C.  E north of 2nd.  I assume it was payloads, but that doesn't really explain 5th since it doesn't go to D.  Was E widened for Station?  Probably not because the O&C is there too.
  
• #682 by brahmanknight on 31 Jul, 2007 17:00
• Does anyone have a clue as to the weight that the SRB's can tolerate before being bent severely?  I mean, they hold the ET and the shuttle with a total of eight hold down bolts.  I'm just wondering what the limit is, theoretically.
• #683 by Jim on 31 Jul, 2007 17:00
• Quote

  Antares - 31/7/2007  12:54 PM
  
  Any idea why certain streets in the KSC industrial area are 4 lanes instead of 2?  5th west of C.  All of C.  E north of 2nd.  I assume it was payloads, but that doesn't really explain 5th since it doesn't go to D.  Was E widened for Station?  Probably not because the O&C is there too.
  

  
  E  was for payloads
  
  5th maybe just an artifact from the intitial contruction
• #684 by Austin on 31 Jul, 2007 17:05
• Quote

  brahmanknight - 31/7/2007  1:00 PM
  
  Does anyone have a clue as to the weight that the SRB's can tolerate before being bent severely?  I mean, they hold the ET and the shuttle with a total of eight hold down bolts.  I'm just wondering what the limit is, theoretically.

  
  And to piggyback on brahmannight's question (sort of), I've always been amazed that the forward (V-shaped) ET to orbiter attach strut is tough enough to handled the weight and aerodynamic forces of launch, especially the first 2 minutes.  How do these suckers hold together?  What are they made of?
• #685 by Jim on 31 Jul, 2007 17:44
• Quote

  Austin - 31/7/2007  1:05 PM
  
  And to piggyback on brahmannight's question (sort of), I've always been amazed that the forward (V-shaped) ET to orbiter attach strut is tough enough to handled the weight and aerodynamic forces of launch, especially the first 2 minutes.  How do these suckers hold together?  What are they made of?

  
  It doesn't carry weight.  Only side to side loads and towards/away from the ET loads (no up and down)
  
  The aft Orbiter/ET attachments carry the weight
• #686 by Austin on 31 Jul, 2007 18:44
• Quote

  Jim - 31/7/2007  1:44 PM
  
  

  Quote

  Austin - 31/7/2007  1:05 PM
  
  And to piggyback on brahmannight's question (sort of), I've always been amazed that the forward (V-shaped) ET to orbiter attach strut is tough enough to handled the weight and aerodynamic forces of launch, especially the first 2 minutes.  How do these suckers hold together?  What are they made of?

  
  It doesn't carry weight.  Only side to side loads and towards/away from the ET loads (no up and down)
  
  The aft Orbiter/ET attachments carry the weight

  
  Makes sense.  Thanks.
• #687 by SpaceNutz SA on 31 Jul, 2007 19:24

• Quote

  henrycheck - 30/7/2007 3:14 PM

  Quote

  SpaceNutz SA - 30/7/2007 7:19 AM Let me put my question in a less confusing manner: A container filled to 2atm at sea level has double the pressure inside than outside. A container filled to 1atm at an outside pressure of 0.5 atm is double the outside pressure. A container filled to 1atm at an outside pressure of 0.25 atm is 4x the outside pressure. A container filled to 1atm at an outside pressure of 0.01 atm is 100x the outside pressure - this is approaching (but not nearly close to) the condition of the orbiter in orbit. How much pressure must the orbiter be exposed to at sea level for the leak check test to be relevant to conditions on orbit? What pressure is actually used for theleak check?

  Presumably the on-orbit pressure differential is factored into the determination of the allowable sea level leak rate. On orbit the allowable crew cabin leak rate is likely greater than 0.022 psi per 4 hours, which is really a tiny leak rate. 1 / (0.022/4) = 182 hours to drop one psi.

  OK - that makes sense - thanks.  Also someone pointed out that the leak test is not a pressure test which also makes sense. 

  Is a pressure test of any kind undertaken at any stage?   I mean what determines that the windows won't pop out when the orbiter reaches orbit or before? 

• #688 by Jim on 31 Jul, 2007 20:13
• Quote

  SpaceNutz SA - 31/7/2007  3:24 PM
  Is a pressure test of any kind undertaken at any stage?   I mean what determines that the windows won't pop out when the orbiter reaches orbit or before?  

  
  that was done when the shuttle was built
• #689 by SpaceNutz SA on 31 Jul, 2007 20:18
• Quote

  Jim - 31/7/2007 10:13 PM

  Quote

  SpaceNutz SA - 31/7/2007 3:24 PM Is a pressure test of any kind undertaken at any stage? I mean what determines that the windows won't pop out when the orbiter reaches orbit or before?

   

  that was done when the shuttle was built

  Any detail on these tests available anywhere?  Is it re-tested after crew compartment structural work - eg: window replacement?

• #690 by Jim on 31 Jul, 2007 20:26
• Quote

  SpaceNutz SA - 31/7/2007  4:18 PM
  
  

  Quote

  Jim - 31/7/2007 10:13 PM

  Quote

  SpaceNutz SA - 31/7/2007 3:24 PM Is a pressure test of any kind undertaken at any stage? I mean what determines that the windows won't pop out when the orbiter reaches orbit or before?

    Is it re-tested after crew compartment structural work - eg: window replacement?

  
  No,   Only leak checks are needed.   Are you going to retest after every time a hatch is opened?  It is only a pressure diffential of 15 psi, that does need repeated pressure tests.
• #691 by shuttlefan on 01 Aug, 2007 17:47
• If the hatch has to be reopened after a scrub, is there actually an audible and feelable rush of air that escapes the crew module?
• #692 by brihath on 01 Aug, 2007 18:52
• Quote

  shuttlefan - 1/8/2007  1:47 PM
  
  If the hatch has to be reopened after a scrub, is there actually an audible and feelable rush of air that escapes the crew module?

  
  I thought the crew compartment was just pressurized to atmosphere once the crew was on board.  You wouldn't want to have a pressure differential when you open the hatch anyway.  Could be hazardous to people outside the hatch.
• #693 by Jim on 01 Aug, 2007 19:33
• Quote

  shuttlefan - 1/8/2007  1:47 PM
  
  If the hatch has to be reopened after a scrub, is there actually an audible and feelable rush of air that escapes the crew module?

  
  No, because it isn't pressurized
• #694 by Andy_Small on 02 Aug, 2007 16:49
• does anyone have a link to the STA operations manual?
  
  Thanks
• #695 by Selmuir on 04 Aug, 2007 13:41
• Hi ,
  
  I was just wondering in any spaceship what positions do the people take like Engeneer , Pilot etc
  
  Could you tell me all the positions the humans take up
  
  Thanks
• #696 by Danny Dot on 04 Aug, 2007 14:26
• Quote

  Selmuir - 4/8/2007  8:41 AM
  
  Hi ,
  
  I was just wondering in any spaceship what positions do the people take like Engeneer , Pilot etc
  
  Could you tell me all the positions the humans take up
  
  Thanks

  
  In the shuttle the commander is really the pilot (as well as the commander), the pilot is really the co-pilot (the commander does 99% of the piloting), Mission Specialist -2 (MS-2) is the flight engineer.  The other MS's are full time shuttle people.  Payload Specialists are anyone else flying that are not full time shuttle astronauts (e.g. senators, teachers, etc.).
  
  Can't speak for other systems.
  
  Danny Deger
• #697 by Selmuir on 04 Aug, 2007 18:03
• Hi ,
  
  
  Sorry for all these questions but i serched for a topic like this and i couldent find any so anyway heres my question,
                   
  If i wanted to become a Astronaut where would i start because i live in Scotland ?
  
  Thanks
  
  
• #698 by SpaceNutz SA on 04 Aug, 2007 18:07
• What determines the launch window on an ISS bound flight?  Is it the position of the ISS relative to KSC?  If so why then does it take about 2 days to play catch-up once in orbit?
• #699 by Danny Dot on 04 Aug, 2007 18:21
• Quote

  SpaceNutz SA - 4/8/2007  1:07 PM
  
  What determines the launch window on an ISS bound flight?  Is it the position of the ISS relative to KSC?  If so why then does it take about 2 days to play catch-up once in orbit?

  
  Let me try to answer this using simple English instead of NASA jargon.  The launch window is defined by the left and right -- crosstrack -- part of getting into the right orbit.  When the ground track of station is over Florida, the shuttle launches.  The station can be right over Florida, or it can be on the other side of the Earth. It doesn't matter.   The shuttle launches anyway.
  
  Catching up over time is the fore and aft part of getting to station.  It is possible, if the fore and aft is just right, to rendezvous sooner -- Gemini used to rendezvous a couple of hours after launch.  Some of the reasons for the delay in rendezvous is to give the crew time to transition the shuttle to orbit ops, day 2 is now dedicated to looking over the shuttle's thermal protection system, and sometimes crew members have motion sickness the first couple of days.  Even if the orbital mechanics line up for a rendezvous on day 1 or day 2, the rendezvous is slowed down for other scheduling reasons.  The rate of catch up is based on how much lower the shuttle is than the station.  If at the same altitude, there is no catchup. If you need to catch up a lot, the shuttle is kept at a lower orbit.
  
  Danny Deger