So much for CEV airbag landing?

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lbiderman

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I believe it will work the two ways: first the rockets to brake the ship (with the help of the parachute), then the airbags for the actual landing. I think that was at the ESAS plan.
 
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josh_simonson

Guest
So it's like a DC-X that's too squat to tip over and has inflatable legs. Very cool.
 
C

crix

Guest
The placement of the rockets is what disturbs me. I would think they would have to be hanging off the white sides, as opposed to opening little doors in the ablative. Right? The shuttle has landing gear that comes out its bottom so I suppose the CEV could have rockets fire through mechanical doors as well. I liked the simplicity of just parachutes and airbags... but I guess it's just not possible for this system.
 
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nibb31

Guest
I think the idea is to jettison the heat shield. You're not going to reuse that anyway. Behind the heat shield is where you'll find the landing rockets and airbag hatches.
 
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crix

Guest
Okay, that makes sense. I hope they can make the airbags work... it sounds more reliable than rockets, but potentially heavier.<br /><br />I guess, either way, the CEVs heatshield will only be used once and then discarded. I had hoped it would be recovered and used several times. I vaguely recall Mike Griffin making a statement about heatshield reuse for the CEV... i could be wrong though.
 
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nacnud

Guest
Are they related in any way to the retros used for the MERs? The ones that canceled horizontal movement and hung just underneath the parachutes?
 
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rfoshaug

Guest
But wouldn't airbags also help the CEV capsule float in the event of a water landing? You can't do that with retro rockets only? Or will the capsule be able to float by itself?<br /><br />Wouldn't be much point in a rescue tower if you sink after splashdown in the Atlantic. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff9900">----------------------------------</font></p><p><font color="#ff9900">My minds have many opinions</font></p> </div>
 
D

darkenfast

Guest
The landing airbags would be in the wrong position to aid "right-side up" flotation on the CEV, nor are they neccessary, as the capsule will float quite well. The Apollo CM, in fact had two stable floating positions (pointy end up and pointy end down), and had small bags that deployed from the same area as where the parachutes were stored, in order to flip it back right-side up. I imagine the CEV will have the same floating characteristics. In the event of the crew needing to leave a floating capsule on their own (extremely unlikely), they would probably go out the top (docking hatch). Before using the side hatch on Apollo, the rescue swimmers attached a flotation collar that lifted the capsule higher, and also gave more protection against swamping from a wave getting in through the side hatch.
 
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rfoshaug

Guest
Ah okay. So that's not really a consideration in this case (of wheter to go with airbags or retro rockets).<br /><br />Thanks. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff9900">----------------------------------</font></p><p><font color="#ff9900">My minds have many opinions</font></p> </div>
 
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