Shuttle Launch Question

[najab]

This one is for shuttle_guy, but if anyone else knows feel free to enlighten me. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><p>What are the launch team's duties once the Shuttle clears the tower? I know that control of the mission passes to JSC once the vehicle is airbourne, and that your primary post-launch job is to safe the pad, but do you also monitor the vehicle telemetry during ascent? If they were to lose communications between JSC and the Orbiter would KSC step in?<p>Another, more morbid question: if the &%$#@! starts flying during ascent, who ultimately has to make the decsion: the RSO or the flight director?</p></p>

 

[vogon13]

It seemed to me the only possibilty of saving Columbia and her crew was the RTLS upon completion of the SRB burn. The TAL was not survivable due to even higher temperatures than normal re-entry. Of course, no one knew Columbia was fatally damaged at the time so no on the spot decision for RTLS was made. But some of the 'what ifs' on this scenario are quite profound. Had high temp silica optical fibers been run thru critical areas of shuttle (SS1 has this on engine), a warning would have been available at the moment the wing leading edge was breeched. What would mission control done with this knowledge? RTLS believed to be very dangerous, but so is re-entry with out TPS. Still feel tragedy deeply, sure feel better after successful return to flight. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[shuttle_rtf]

Stupid question alert <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />.....<br /><br />....If there was a breach detection alarm on the leading edge of the wing, one which would mean re-entry was impossible, could the Shuttle:<br /><br />1) have an emergancy change to its flight path to reach the ISS (I believe STS-107 was a science mission, not an ISS mission...I remember Columbia was launched on a 39 degree orbit...the STS-111 Endeavour launch to the ISS was 51 degrees...so I take it even with clever swiveling of the SSMEs and SRBs, the path couldn't be changed enough for the ISS as a safe haven?)<br /><br />2) Would there have been enough turnaround time to get Atlantis (I think Endeavour was into her Maintainence period?) up as a rescue ship...ala STS-300 for Discovery...and can two shuttles hook up in space?)<br /><br />Basically, was there no options (bar a potential RTLS) even if the breach was detected?

 

[najab]

><i>...have an emergancy change to its flight path to reach the ISS...</i><p>Long answer: Theoretically, if the decision was made right <b>at that very instant</b> (no time for any discussion) the crew could have taken manual control (no flight software) and turned the vehicle so that they could <i>possibly</i> have gotten to an orbit that <i>might</i> have had the same inclination. This is a SWAG based on the assumption that stage 1 flight is all about gaining altitude rather than downrange velocity - I seem to remember that the vehicle was doing a little over Mach 1 when the foam hit.<p>Having said that, it wouldn't have done any good. <i>Columbia</i> was significantly heavier than the other Orbiters and, with the heavy research module in the back, even if they could have managed the plane change, it would have ended up in a <b>much</b> lower orbit that wouldn't have been stable for more than a few days. Add to that the fact that ISS phasing wasn't even a consideration for the launch - even if (by some miracle) they had made the correct inclination at the correct altitude, the Station would probably have been on the other side of the Earth.<p>Short answer: No.<p>><i>Would there have been enough turnaround time to get Atlantis. . .up as a rescue ship</i><p>If they had detected the breach right away, and if they had put the crew and ship into survival mode immediately they got on orbit, and if they had rushed Atlantis' preparations and if weather, equipment and people had come together prefectly with no glitches then yes, they could <b>just</b> have made it.<p>>...and can two shuttles hook up in space?<p>No. At least <i>Columbia</i> couldn't have since she had the internal airlock. I'm not sure if two external airlocks can be mated.</p></p></p></p></p></p></p>

 

[shuttle_rtf]

Thanks Adrian! <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />