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Atlantis set for express trip home - more TPS results
by
Chris Bergin
on 27 Jun, 2007 22:01
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#1
by
JMS
on 27 Jun, 2007 23:06
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Have they ever made that trip in one day before?
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#2
by
Jackson
on 27 Jun, 2007 23:10
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JMS - 27/6/2007 6:06 PM
Have they ever made that trip in one day before?
Yes. When this processing information for today was posted on L2, there was the same question and Psloss posted that it has happened on at least three other occasions. I'll let him post what he posted.
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#3
by
Launch Fan
on 28 Jun, 2007 03:32
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Weather might kill this opportunity. Doesn't look good Friday.
I'll defer to Mr Dale
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#4
by
MKremer
on 28 Jun, 2007 04:12
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Is it possible they would make the first leg to their refuelling base, then consider the KSC weather? If it's not promising, then overnight there and takeoff early enough the next morning to beat the afternoon weather in FL?
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#5
by
rdale
on 28 Jun, 2007 13:53
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Definitely into a wet, tropical pattern across the FL peninsula -- I'm sure they can thread the needle but not sure how dry the area has to be for them to try...
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#6
by
shuttlefan
on 28 Jun, 2007 14:57
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So they're set to mate the orbiter to the 747 today?
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#7
by
DaveS
on 28 Jun, 2007 15:01
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shuttlefan - 28/6/2007 4:57 PM
So they're set to mate the orbiter to the 747 today?
That depends on whether they have mated the tailcone to orbiter yet. They were concerned that high winds could delay that.
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#8
by
pippin
on 28 Jun, 2007 15:35
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MKremer - 28/6/2007 6:12 AM
Is it possible they would make the first leg to their refuelling base, then consider the KSC weather? If it's not promising, then overnight there and takeoff early enough the next morning to beat the afternoon weather in FL?
refuelling base? They can't fly ftom Edwards to Kennedy with one load of fuel of a 747??? Wow
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#9
by
Jorge
on 28 Jun, 2007 15:48
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pippin - 28/6/2007 10:35 AM
MKremer - 28/6/2007 6:12 AM
Is it possible they would make the first leg to their refuelling base, then consider the KSC weather? If it's not promising, then overnight there and takeoff early enough the next morning to beat the afternoon weather in FL?
refuelling base? They can't fly ftom Edwards to Kennedy with one load of fuel of a 747??? Wow
That is correct. The problem isn't the mass of the orbiter - it's well within what a cargo 747 can carry - but the fact that it's mounted externally, and so adds a lot of drag.
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#10
by
Lee Jay
on 28 Jun, 2007 15:58
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Jorge - 28/6/2007 9:48 AM
pippin - 28/6/2007 10:35 AM
MKremer - 28/6/2007 6:12 AM
Is it possible they would make the first leg to their refuelling base, then consider the KSC weather? If it's not promising, then overnight there and takeoff early enough the next morning to beat the afternoon weather in FL?
refuelling base? They can't fly ftom Edwards to Kennedy with one load of fuel of a 747??? Wow
That is correct. The problem isn't the mass of the orbiter - it's well within what a cargo 747 can carry - but the fact that it's mounted externally, and so adds a lot of drag.
Don't they also fly low and slow (10,000 feet and 250 knots or something like that) for much of the trip?
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#11
by
psloss
on 28 Jun, 2007 16:00
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#12
by
Jim
on 28 Jun, 2007 16:08
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Actually, the low altitude is due to keeping the orbiter systems above the freezing. The low altitude is not fuel efficent and necessiates refueling
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#13
by
Lee Jay
on 28 Jun, 2007 22:47
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Yeah...that's why I mentioned it. Airliners are efficient at high altitude. Flying low and slow, and adding a big fat drag device on top conspire together to dramatically reduce the range of the SCA + orbiter.
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#14
by
Kaputnik
on 29 Jun, 2007 09:32
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How big a difference in drag does hte tailcone make? Or is it just there to protect the engine nozzles?
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#15
by
Jim
on 29 Jun, 2007 15:27
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Big difference
