Converting Space Shuttle Cargo Bay to carry passengers

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Crossover_Maniac

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Is it possible to refit the shuttle cargo bay into a passenger compartment? IIRC, the cargo bay is not pressurized, but can the cargo bay doors be replaced by an air-sealed cover? If so, there's 60'x15' available for passengers to a large space station like the BA-330 or an external tank wet workshop.
 
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Gravity_Ray

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Seriously dude let the shuttle rest in peace. No you cant close the bay doors, they have to open in space because they are used as radiators to cool the shuttle down. You cant put people in the cargo bay but you can put people in a module (like an MPLM) and put that in the cargo bay.

Anyway, neither is going to happen because the shuttle is going to get retired. Let the beast rest now, its done its job. Besides I dont think you can get Mr Big to put his BA330 in a shuttle if you paid him to do it. He has his own ideas.
 
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Crossover_Maniac

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Gravity_Ray":pzat7yuk said:
Seriously dude let the shuttle rest in peace. No you cant close the bay doors, they have to open in space because they are used as radiators to cool the shuttle down. You cant put people in the cargo bay but you can put people in a module (like an MPLM) and put that in the cargo bay.

Anyway, neither is going to happen because the shuttle is going to get retired. Let the beast rest now, its done its job. Besides I dont think you can get Mr Big to put his BA330 in a shuttle if you paid him to do it. He has his own ideas.

The reason why I brought it up is because a 60'x15x cargo bay *with* a sizable pressurized module could carry 20-30 people at one time.
 
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Gravity_Ray

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I agree that the shuttle is truly an amazing machine. Nobody denies it. But the shuttle costs 1.3 billion dollar per launch (if you include the shuttle cost and the costs of buildings, facilities, training, salaries, etc...) so for 20 people that is about 65 million a person. Are there 30 people that can pay that per launch? Where would they go in LEO? The shuttle (being side mounted) is constantly in danger of fatal TPS damage. What will happen if another Columbia type accident happens and 20 people die in one shot?

In short the benefits are not justifiable for the risk you are taking. As stated in the X37 thread you can learn from the shuttle and maybe design a smaller shuttle for just passengers that can be mounted on top of a rocket?? But the shuttle as it stands right now is only needed to finish its job with the ISS and then retire in grace. Besides the shuttle technology is over 40 years old now, its time to let it retire and take its place in history.
 
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MeteorWayne

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Crossover_Maniac":22efs8zr said:
Is it possible to refit the shuttle cargo bay into a passenger compartment? IIRC, the cargo bay is not pressurized, but can the cargo bay doors be replaced by an air-sealed cover? If so, there's 60'x15' available for passengers to a large space station like the BA-330 or an external tank wet workshop.

No, and this has beien beaten to death in many other threads, one of which this horse will be merged with.
 
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StarRider1701

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MeteorWayne":n6y7ec7s said:
Crossover_Maniac":n6y7ec7s said:
Is it possible to refit the shuttle cargo bay into a passenger compartment? IIRC, the cargo bay is not pressurized, but can the cargo bay doors be replaced by an air-sealed cover? If so, there's 60'x15' available for passengers to a large space station like the BA-330 or an external tank wet workshop.

No, and this has beien beaten to death in many other threads, one of which this horse will be merged with.

I beg to differ MW, but I clearly remember seeing pictures of some kind of passenger compartment idea touted back when the Shuttle was new. Perhaps it was a passenger module that fit within the cargo bay. Ok, maybe NASA never got around to building it, but I do remember such a proposal back in the day...
 
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