Shuttle Questions?

[newsartist]

I'm hoping somebody can answer a couple questions about Orbiter Atlantis, to help in completing a super-detailed model?

-On the Payload Bay side of the Crew Module bulkhead, there are two 'brownish' looking vertical 'tubes' on both sides of the airlock location. They end just below the Payload Bay Door winches. What are they? (ie; what color should they be?)

-Do the Payload Bay Purge/Vents seen on the outside of the Orbiter line up with openings in the payload bay liner, those silverish panels??? (ie; in an on-orbit configuration, would you see light through the vents from either side?)

 

[shuttle_guy]

I'm hoping somebody can answer a couple questions about Orbiter Atlantis, to help in completing a super-detailed model?

-On the Payload Bay side of the Crew Module bulkhead, there are two 'brownish' looking vertical 'tubes' on both sides of the airlock location. They end just below the Payload Bay Door winches. What are they? (ie; what color should they be?)

-Do the Payload Bay Purge/Vents seen on the outside of the Orbiter line up with openings in the payload bay liner, those silverish panels??? (ie; in an on-orbit configuration, would you see light through the vents from either side?)

I am not sure about the first question, but I think you are refering to hand holds for crew EVA. They would be dull silver.

The vents on the side of the Orbiter fuselage are vents to keep the pressure in the mid body equalized during ascent and entry. They do not protrud into the payload bay.

 

[newsartist]

I have the hand-hold list for STS-84, ...these aren't listed.

They are a lot bigger diameter, (about like a beer bottle,) and some pictures show them looking like burned metal, not yellow as the listed hand holds.. Is there any sort of fuel cell heat radiator? They are in about the right place?

I wish I could post photos here, but the 'tubes' show up in every picture of the outside of Xo-576 bulkhead.

 

[shuttle_guy]

OK, I see what you are referring to. Those are cable trays. They are square so they are flat on the surface facing into the cargo bay. The are a gray color.

There are no Fuel Cell radiators. The FCs are cooled by heat exchangers.

 

[Jack_Phillips]

I had a crazy idea. What if instead of scrapping the shuttles, we reconfigure at least two of them to be launched into permanent orbit to be used as utility vehicles for just such missions? They could be used for satellite repair, space junk removal, and potentially as the start of the first space dry dock.

Each shuttle would carry the first two modules of a space station that would have shop facilities, crew quarters and a refueling module. It would be resupplied using the new transport rockets, but its primary mission would be as a base for the reconfigured shuttles. The facility can use any salvaged metal as material to enlarge the station and build new space vehicles.

Further, since the shuttles would only need one of their three main engines for the new role, the other engines could be the first pieces of a larger ship designed for transport to and from the moon.

Crazy, no?

I see many possibilities. What do you think?

 

[newsartist]

Those are cable trays. They are square....

Thanks S_G!

 

[samkent]

The power systems on the shuttle are good for only a couple of weeks.
Solar panels would have to be extremely huge compared to the size of the shuttle.
The main engines do need maintenance and checks between flights. I doubt an astronaut could remove one with hand tools.

Plus I don’t know if a shuttle can be left unattended for long periods of time.

Basically your idea won’t work as nicely as you think.

 

[drwayne]

We have had a number of discussions here over the years (some of which have been lost) about
use of the shuttles for lifeboats, utility vehicles, Mars vehicles etc.

The bottom line has typically been that the shuttle systems were not designed for long durations
on orbit, and, as seems to always happen getting something to do something it was not designed
for usually results in costs that are higher than purpose built designs.

So your idea, while certainly NOT crazy, also would probably not work.

Wayne

 

[drwayne]

Welcome to the forum by the way Jack. Glad you made it off the ship!

Wayne

 

[dragon04]

We have had a number of discussions here over the years (some of which have been lost) about
use of the shuttles for lifeboats, utility vehicles, Mars vehicles etc.

The bottom line has typically been that the shuttle systems were not designed for long durations
on orbit, and, as seems to always happen getting something to do something it was not designed
for usually results in costs that are higher than purpose built designs.

So your idea, while certainly NOT crazy, also would probably not work.

Wayne

Not to mention that the longer an Orbiter would be "parked" in LEO, it would seem to me to almost be a certainty that it would be hit by debris and damaged.