Questions tagged [space-shuttle]
The Space Shuttle was a crewed, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft operated by NASA from 1981 to 2011.
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How were the geodetic and geocentric latitudes of the Space Shuttle defined and calculated?
The image below is cropped from https://i.stack.imgur.com/4XFaJ.jpg as described in this answer. It shows a geographic state of a space shuttle at a given instant in time.
There is only one value for ...
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Payload Specialist Training
How rigorous was training for Space Shuttle payload specialists? These astronauts were not selected from the normal astronaut pipeline, but instead were people with clout (politicians), PR ...
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Why SpaceX have the T+0 second in the countdown while the Space Shuttle 'skip' the T+0 second?
Does the space shuttle countdown skip the first second after launch (T+0) and if yes why?
You can see this effect in videos like this one:
In comparison with an ...
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Why is this part of the Space Shuttle launch pad suspended so high off the ground?
http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-107/images/high/KSC-02PD-1894.jpg
shows a large part of the launch pad suspended off the ground.
What is it for and why is there all that empty space ...
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Why would different Shuttle orbits have different mission directors?
The Wikipedia page for NASA Flight director Holly Ridings contains a portrait with two other STS-117 mission flight directors. The caption there says:
Flight directors for the STS-117 mission in ...
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Identify this astronaut and shuttle mission
After about 02:00 in the Kinematic video SpaceX Delivers Critical Docking Adapter for NASA to the ISS the astronaut says:
You know the Space Shuttle’s been with ...
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What if the Shuttle went straight up?
It seems like Space Shuttle vehicles ascend on a diagonal in order to enter orbit. However, what would happen if they just kept going straight up?
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What exactly is the purpose of connection links strapped between the rocket and the launch pad
I am curious on what are those multiple connection cables latched between the rocket and launch pad.
What exactly is the purpose of it, I am aware that one should be for filling up the fuel. But ...
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Space Shuttle Orbiter VRCS
I am looking for details on the Space Shuttle Orbiter Vernier Reaction Control System (VRCS), used for fine maneuvers on orbit, such as docking. Wikipedia has very little information on the system. ...
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Slide rope way from launch pad of space shuttle?
In the MIT OCW of Aerospace System Engineering lecture 14 at 37:40, Prof Jeffery Hoffman talks about ropeway from space shuttle that goes to a bunker and then they have to ride a military tank !
I ...
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Who released pre-launch TLE data for the Space Shuttle?
The question Pre-launch TLEs for NASA launches asks:
I was curious if the United States is on the verge of launching maned flights to the ISS, will anyone release Pre-Launch TLE data like was done ...
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Why didn’t the space shuttle external tank have pressure-relief vents?
During a space shuttle abort, it would have been vitally important not to allow the vehicle to droop below 265 kilofeet during powered flight, as excessive aerodynamic heating below 265 kft would have ...
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Was Columbia’s CVR ever found?
Each of the space shuttles carried a cockpit voice recorder (CVR), similar to those required on commercial airliners, which recorded the crew’s conversations to aid in accident reconstruction should a ...
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Why didn’t the space shuttle’s engine-out checklists include steps for attempting a relight?
Throughout much of a space shuttle ascent, even a single SSME failure would have left the mission’s intended orbit out of reach and forced some sort of abort; a two-SSME-out situation would have left ...
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Why would a space shuttle have flown a normal first-stage and early-second-stage ascent trajectory during an RTLS abort?
Had a space shuttle suffered a main-engine failure very early on during ascent, or had a time-critical emergency (for instance, a crewmember unexpectedly having a stroke) occurred before negative ...
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Scoutleader looking for understanding of fuel burn for getting away from earth gravity Vs. fuel expended when traveling from A-B in space
I am a layman scoutleader and like to discuss the amount of fuel needed to get from earths gravity to the thrust needed in space to get from A-B. Is there a spreadsheet that would give course ...
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Trajectory impact in case of STS hold down studs failure
The comment on this question made me think, suppose all holding studs mounted on SRB’s do get failed, how much impact would it really result in trajectory, considering same fuel burn time of SRB’s.
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Saturn V and STS holding to launch pad mechanism
In this question on quora, the first answer mentions that for Space Shuttle launches they changed the holding mechanism to explosive bolts from the clamps used to hold the Saturn V.
The video links ...
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Did every shuttle flight after STS-5 carry EMUs onboard?
STS-5 is the first shuttle mission to carry Extravehicular Mobility Units onboard during the Space Shuttle program. Due to various issues happened during STS-5, the first extravehicular activity ...
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Heat Shielding Material for Reusable Craft
I'm a bit new to all this and have a quick question about heat shielding. My research tells me that for reusable craft (i.e. Space Shuttles) they used to use a plastic-based shields that would burn ...
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Are there any photographs of the frozen waste water after a urine dump in space?
Astronaut Mike Massimino talks about watching the urine freeze outside of the spacecraft. He said they would all watch, it was something beautiful to see.
Are there any photographs of this, or has ...
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What was NASA's Tire Assault Vehicle?
Why did NASA build a vehicle specifically designed to attack aircraft tires?
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What are these membranes at the aft end of the Shuttle that get torn off during lift off?
The link to the Space Shuttle launch video.
At 1:30 mark, three circular disks get torn away. It happens immediately after the engine ignition begins.
Here is a cropped image of the Discovery after ...
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What are the 'lights' inside Shuttle main engines at landing?
I have a night-landing photo of the Shuttle showing lights (I assume some type of glow-plug to burn off extraneous fuel). My understanding is that only the OMS engines burn to begin reentry.
Can ...
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Did anyone piloting a Space Shuttle ever make a significant pilot error?
Did anyone piloting a Space Shuttle ever make a significant pilot error? (I've never heard of any, and I'm curious if that is due to their extensive training, or if it's just that that sort of ...
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What was the last US manned space program?
I needed some info for a project.
I tried some Google search but couldn't find an answer.
US decommissioned it's space shuttle in 2011. Columbia disaster was in Feb 1, 2003. We're there any manned ...
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Why can't SpaceX Starship perform the same landing procedure as the Falcon 9 does?
I know... Elon Musk calls the redesign of the BFR "unintuitive".
I'm just trying to get ahead of the Starship introduction and hop test presumably in March/April timeline.
But isn't it better to use ...
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Space shuttle need
Astronauts travel in space in command modules using rockets, which also carry payloads. The payloads are delivered in the relevant orbit, and the command module returns to earth, after the rocket ...
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What military forces provided Space Shuttle search and rescue?
The Space Shuttle had various ways to abort a mission. These included shutting down on the launchpad before the SRBs ignited (RSLS), turning around to land at a runway near the launch site (RTLS), ...
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Were shuttle and ISS spacewalks always done with two astronauts?
Even if only one astronaut is needed for an EVA, it makes sense to have a second suited up and outside in case of an emergency. Was there ever any exception to this number (e.g. 1 or 3) for the space ...
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Were shuttle seats reconfigured between launch and reentry to account for the different direction of acceleration?
During launch, the g-force felt by the crew is directly back toward the engines and maxed out at about 3g. During reentry, it also maxed out at about 3g, but pointed at about a 45 degree angle down ...
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Source for Shuttle SRB segment history diagrams
I'm looking for a source for these ATK booster segment history images.
Sadly absent user TildalWave posted a comment with a link to an article containing this one 3 1/2 years ago.
I've finally ...
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Final results on Space Shuttle SRB reuse goal?
One of the stated goals of the Space Shuttle solid rocket boosters (SRBs) was their re-usability and cost savings from such reuse. I know that many of them were reused, but in the end, how successful ...
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How was the thrust for the STS-94 launch and other space shuttle launches balanced? [duplicate]
I've been looking at of the STS-94 skylab launch and other launching involving asymmetrical rocket launch vehicles, mostly because I've never been able to design something similar in KSP with ...
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When was the ISS's “SPEED LIMIT 17500 MPH” sign originally posted?
When was the ISS's "SPEED LIMIT 17500 MPH" sign originally posted?
above: "STS110-353-012 (8-19 April 2002) --- Astronaut Ellen Ochoa, STS-110 mission specialist, poses by the speed limit signs in ...
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Did the Shuttle have a drag penalty for ascent with a negative angle of attack (AOA)?
@OrganicMarble's answer mentions
Because the Orbiter wings developed lift at zero angle of attack, the high dynamic pressure portion of ascent had to be flown at a negative angle of attack, close ...
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How hard would it be to fly a Space Shuttle again?
Since in the wake of the failure of Soyuz MS-10, "humanity is effectively trapped on Earth" (this of course ignores Chinese launchers), one might try to fly one of the remaining Space Shuttle orbiters ...
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Is there any written evidence of NASA being under pressure to launch prior to the Rogers Commission asserting it in February, 1986? [closed]
I asked that question of the NASA administrator, James M Beggs and got the following response.
JRG: Jim a lot has been made of the fact that NASA management made
poor decisions regarding the ...
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Could the Space Shuttle orbiter have used the Energia HLLV (used by Buran)?
I would like to know if the Space Shuttle orbiters would have been capable of utilizing the Energia Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle (HLLV) used by the Buran instead of the External tank/SRB configuration. ...
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This image of the Space Shuttle is truly beautiful, but is it real?
I saw this image in the Infobae article La NASA probará un paracaídas para posar naves espaciales en Marte ("NASA will test a parachute to place spaceships on Mars").
The image looks plausible to me, ...
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NASA's good luck eagle
I read somewhere-- but for the life of me I can't remember where-- that there is an eagle's nest at the Kennedy Space Center that served as an omen for the shuttle's safe return. Something like, if ...
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Where did the families of astronauts watch the launch?
Where did the families of American astronauts watch the launch from? I've heard the Saturn V Center and also the Launch Control Center. Maybe it was different for each launch? TIA
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Where and when did the traditional “wave across the ditch” take place?
I’ve heard that before a launch American astronauts had one last chance to see their family by waving across a ditch (which apparently wasn’t really a ditch?). I’m curious, where and exactly when (day ...
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What was it like for the family members of astronauts before a launch? [closed]
What was it like to be the family member of an astronaut in the days and hours before a launch? Specifically, I'm curious about launches during NASA'S space shuttle program. Where did family members ...
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What is happening in this photo of a glowing plume behind STS-70 and how was it taken?
A recent tweet by @NASASpaceflight about STS-70 deployment of TDRS-G (TDRS-7) says:
STS-70 - Shuttle Discovery - Launched 13 July 1995 from KSC 39B.
Terence T. Henricks commanded her 21st ...
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How big of an external tank to replace the shuttle SRBs with more LH2 and LO2?
The space shuttle ascended using two types of propulsion: (1) liquid hydrogen and oxygen stored in the external tank and burned in the main engines on the orbiter, and (2) the solid rocket boosters.
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Did NASA archive the audio recording of STS launches
I believe some important information could be recovered if the Launchpad audio of STS-51L still exists.
The leak in the RH aft field joint could have created a high pitched whistle between 0.678 ...
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How was “Space Ram” (instant ramen noodles) prepared and eaten on the Space Shuttle?
The BBC Witness Podcast The Invention of Instant Noodles mentions that "Space Ram" (ramen noodles for space) was developed for eating on the Space Shuttle. After about ...
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explosive force equivalent
i've seen 1 link that would direct me to a site that gave an equivalent of what would happen if a SATURN 5 let go on the pad, but not the Shuttle, was wondering what the force equivalent would be if ...
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At what point was nose wheel steering “added” to the Space Shuttle design?
A comment below this answer to my question "Runway landing with a front skid instead of wheel - how does steering happen? (Dreamchaser)" says:
In fact, the Space Shuttle didn't originally have ...
