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#880
by
rdale
on 22 Aug, 2007 20:30
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No. There's nowhere to put it where people will see.
The search feature will show you that there has been lengthy discussions about this topic.
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#881
by
Jim
on 22 Aug, 2007 21:27
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SpaceNutz SA - 22/8/2007 4:14 PM
Basic Orbital Mechanics Question:
Slower = higher and faster = lower. How is it then that for a spacecraft to re-enter it must slow down (which means higher) and not speed up (which means lower)??
Engine burns add or subtract energy not speed. Orbits are determined by kinetic (velocity) and potential (altitude) energy. Deorbit burn reduces the kinetic energy of the shuttle and it goes into a lower orbit. It may speed up but the overall combination of velocity and altitude are at a lower energy level
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#882
by
Jim
on 22 Aug, 2007 21:27
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BWP - 22/8/2007 4:26 PM
will any of the shuttle's be displayed at Edward's? once there retired. I mean it should because half of the shuttle flight's were at Edward's
Look up orbiter retirement
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#883
by
SCE2Aux
on 23 Aug, 2007 11:26
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Are the orbiter's wheel wells pressurised in space? Surely a pressurised tyre in a vacuum would be under enourmous strain?
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#884
by
cabbage
on 23 Aug, 2007 12:52
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Yes, but it's not a very big deal
There's only a 15psi difference between sea-level atmospheric pressure and vacuum, which compared to the 300-odd psi they're inflated to anyway isn't much of a difference.
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#885
by
MKremer
on 23 Aug, 2007 12:55
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Unpressurized. The pressure difference between sea level and orbit is only 100kPa (14.7psi).
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#886
by
SpaceFan
on 23 Aug, 2007 13:49
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Thanks to those who replied to my first question, but now it's time for dumb question #2. At the end of the STS-118 flight, they were discussing which runway to land on. Weren't they just discussing essentially which end of the runway to land on? I remember them being concerned with crosswinds and it seems like if that's what they were concerned about, why would changing the direction of landing by 180 degrees matter? The crosswinds would just be hitting the other side of the shuttle.
Thanks!
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#887
by
joncz
on 23 Aug, 2007 13:53
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Only if the crosswind was 90 degrees to the runway. They always want to land into the wind. At the time of approach, the winds were supposed to be out of 110. Landing on runway 15 puts the crosswind 40 degress off their nose on the port side.
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#888
by
mkirk
on 23 Aug, 2007 17:13
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SpaceFan - 23/8/2007 8:49 AM
Thanks to those who replied to my first question, but now it's time for dumb question #2. At the end of the STS-118 flight, they were discussing which runway to land on. Weren't they just discussing essentially which end of the runway to land on? I remember them being concerned with crosswinds and it seems like if that's what they were concerned about, why would changing the direction of landing by 180 degrees matter? The crosswinds would just be hitting the other side of the shuttle.
Thanks!
There are other factors used in picking which end to land on. Winds at both the surface and at altitude are evaluated along with sun angle, visibilty, cloud coverage along the approach paths, turbulence, proximity to rain/thunderstorms, runway lighting, HAC turn angle, approach and touchdown energy state, and so on.
These are all considered by the STA pilot in conjunction with the weather folks (SMG, Weather Flight, and Capcom) and the Mission Control Team (particularly FIDO).
Mark Kirkman
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#889
by
BigKiai
on 23 Aug, 2007 18:58
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What is a TCS strap?
How is the shuttle, ET and boosters firmly bolted to the launch pad so that it does not tip?
Is the shuttle only attahed to the ET on the launch pad?
Sorry for all the newbie questions, but this has been bugging me for a long time. Thanks in advance.
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#890
by
Jim
on 23 Aug, 2007 19:03
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BigKiai - 23/8/2007 2:58 PM
1. What is a TCS strap?
2. How is the shuttle, ET and boosters firmly bolted to the launch pad so that it does not tip?
3. Is the shuttle only attahed to the ET on the launch pad?
.
1. need more info, TCS could be thermal control system
2. Four bolts on each SRB
3 Correct
read this for more info
http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/shuttle/reference/shutref/index.html
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#891
by
Jorge
on 23 Aug, 2007 19:04
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BigKiai - 23/8/2007 1:58 PM
How is the shuttle, ET and boosters firmly bolted to the launch pad so that it does not tip?
Eight hold-down bolts on the SRBs support the weight of the entire stack.
Is the shuttle only attahed to the ET on the launch pad?
Yes, and the ET is in turn supported by the SRBs. The orbiter is attached to the Tail Service Masts through the T-0 umbilicals but those are not load-bearing.
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#892
by
BigKiai
on 23 Aug, 2007 19:15
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On today's story on the main page of nasaspaceflight.com, it says the only items they found on the runway post-landing were the chute and related items, plus a TCS strap. I was wondering that the TCS strap is.
Thanks for helping out a newbie,
Mike
Jim - 23/8/2007 12:03 PM BigKiai - 23/8/2007 2:58 PM 1. What is a TCS strap? 2. How is the shuttle, ET and boosters firmly bolted to the launch pad so that it does not tip? 3. Is the shuttle only attahed to the ET on the launch pad? .
1. need more info, TCS could be thermal control system 2. Four bolts on each SRB 3 Correct read this for more info http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/shuttle/reference/shutref/index.html
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#893
by
swhitt
on 23 Aug, 2007 22:19
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In the close up views of the tiles, in just about every one, there is a dot in the center of the tile, with a circle around it. Then after reentry, there are streaks leading from the dot, following the direction of travel.
What are the dots and circles?
Why are they there?
Do they mean anything?
Thanks.
Steve Whitt
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#894
by
Jim
on 23 Aug, 2007 22:27
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That is where the waterproofing is injected
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#895
by
C5C6
on 24 Aug, 2007 00:34
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in the VAB, you got high-bay 1 that has been used for the last flights, high-bay 3 which also faces the atlantic.....
1. the other two 'doors', have got high-bays?
2. have those ever been used for apollo/shuttle?
3. in case there are 4 high-bays, dont you think there are too many?
4. which high-bay is going to be modified for project constellaton?
thanksssss
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#896
by
DaveS
on 24 Aug, 2007 00:49
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C5C6 - 24/8/2007 2:34 AM
in the VAB, you got high-bay 1 that has been used for the last flights, high-bay 3 which also faces the atlantic.....
1. the other two 'doors', have got high-bays?
2. have those ever been used for apollo/shuttle?
3. in case there are 4 high-bays, dont you think there are too many?
4. which high-bay is going to be modified for project constellaton?
thanksssss
1: Yes, they're designated High Bays 2 and 4.
2: Yes, on multiple occations. High Bay 2 has only been used once as a potential storm shelter for a rolled back shuttle stack, STS-106.
3: Nope. The current situation shows that they're really handicapped by the fact that only one integration cell is available(HB 1).
4: All of them once the shuttle program is over,
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#897
by
Thorny
on 24 Aug, 2007 01:01
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C5C6 - 23/8/2007 7:34 PM
in the VAB, you got high-bay 1 that has been used for the last flights, high-bay 3 which also faces the atlantic.....
1. the other two 'doors', have got high-bays?
2. have those ever been used for apollo/shuttle?
thanksssss
Here's a photo of Apollo 10 coming around the VAB after rollout from High Bay 2.
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/a410/ap10-69-HC-309.jpg
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#898
by
Ankle-bone12
on 24 Aug, 2007 05:57
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In ULF missions, do some crew sleep in the mplm's? what about space hab, Does an astronaut sleep in those too?
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#899
by
Jim
on 24 Aug, 2007 10:22
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Not in the MPLM. The crew has no access to it in the payload bay of the shuttle (there is no tunnel). On spacehab missions, there is a tunnel and the crew has slept in the module.