STS-114 Mission Update Thread (Part 3)

[farmerman]

talking about the shuttle weight and the oms engines, I thought I heard the NASA commentator say after srb sep. that the shuttle weighs half of what it did at lift off, I think your right the oms. they would provide more kick later during ascent than at lift off, plus this is something I'm kicking about the weight of the fuel of the oms, if it's burned during the first half of launch, the shuttle has lightened itself a little more in weight, and maybe can carry a little more cargo to orbit instead of fuel for the oms plus eliminate a oms burn later. Hope I'm making sense on the oms engine fuel weight issue, shuttle guy am I right?

 

[llivinglarge]

NASA seriously needs to do away with belly-mounted propulsion...<br /><br />*MORBID THINKING ALERT*<br /><br />SG, I feel very sick to my stomach after learning that a tile chipped near the wheel well. Wasn't it searing hot gases that seeping through the hole in Columbia's leading edge that lead to its structural failure?<br /><br />Also, this image has me scared...<br /><br />http://uplink.space.com/attachments//289362-flame.jpg<br /><br />It is eeriely similar to what was observed with Columbia's foam strike.<br /><br />http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/5228/columbiafoam6lx.jpg <br /><br />BTW, SG, do you remember STS-51F?<br /><br />"Challenger, Houston, ABORT: ATO!"

 

[Astrosag]

Just as worried as the rest of you...I also felt a bit sick after seeing that chunk of whatever it is flying off...gosh darn. <br /><br />So NASA showed the different camera views and I was wondering if anyone knew (or had them themselves) where we can download these videos. <br /><br />On a brighter note, take a look at Astronomy Picture of the Day image of Discovery:<br /><br />http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050727.html

 

[llivinglarge]

Let me lighten the mood...

 

[llivinglarge]

Grrr... Stupid approval.<br /><br />http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/9153/pwned6ix.jpg<br /><br />Here's my photoshopping of the bird strike.

 

[Astrosag]

Rocket or air propulsion isn't measured in horsepower, but pounds of thrust. You can find an equivalent horsepower value though. Correct me if I'm wrong but 1 pound of thrust is the thrust required to levitate 1 pound of mass (basically fight gravity)- I may be wrong. Anyways I asked this a while back about the total thrust and it all depends on the atmospheric conditions (altitude....the SSME thrust varies with altitude) but the total thrust of the stack should be around 5 to 6 million pounds at launch? The crude facts I know are:<br /><br />500,000 lbs of thrust per SSME<br />3 million lbs of thrust per SRB<br /><br />But that puts it at 7.5 million which I think is a bit high...but I could completely be wrong...someone else will have to answer this. <br /><br />Here are some fact that Boeing Rocketdyne has posted about the SSMEs.<br />The site is (http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/space/propul/SSMEamaz.html)<br /><br />Rocketdyne's Space Shuttle Main Engine operates at greater temperature extremes than any mechanical system in common use today. The liquid hydrogen fuel is -423 degrees Fahrenheit, the second coldest liquid on Earth. When the hydrogen is burned with liquid oxygen, the temperature in the engine's combustion chamber reaches +6000 degrees Fahrenheit - that's higher than the boiling point of Iron.<br /><br />The maximum equivalent horsepower developed by the three SSMEs is just over 37 million horsepower.<br /><br />The energy released by three of Rocketdyne's Space Shuttle Main engines is equivalent to the output of 13 Hoover Dams.<br /><br />Although not much larger than an automobile engine, the SSME high-pressure fuel turbopump generates 100 horsepower for each pound of its weight, while an automobile engine generates about one-half horsepower for each pound of its weight.<br /><br />Even though Rocketdyne's SSME weighs one-seventh as much as a locomotive engine, its high-pressure fuel pump alone delivers as much horsepower as 28 locomotives, while its high-pre

 

[ozspace]

Just got this from an Orlando Sentinal report on the Laura Bush vist to the LCC aftrer the launch:<br />"About 20 minutes after launch, the Firing Room was a scene of subdued happiness. Almost everyone remained at their posts, wearing headsets, smiling but not talking much. First Lady Laura Bush and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush made their way into the room out of our view and stood on an upper deck near the big windows overlooking the launch pad. They were accompanied by NASA officials. <br /><br />Launch Director Mike Leinbach addressed the room, yelling, because the microphone did not work. <br /><br />'We might not have a microphone that works, but we have a shuttle that works," he declared, bringing thunderous applause and cheers. <br /><br />Leinbach then introduced NASA Administrator Michael Griffin, <br /><br />Griffin: "Thank you all for making me look good on my first time around. Thank you all very much.... <br /><br />Afterwards, everyone gathered downstairs in the lobby for the traditional beans and cornbread celebration. <br /><br />Hey SG, as you mentioned while ago that they had decided on not holding a traditional post launch party this time, but at least you got beans with the First Lady!<br />

 

[llivinglarge]

I remember a couple of years ago I was listening to an Endeavour launch/landing (I can't remember) on the radio while riding on the Cross Bronx Expressway...<br /><br />The commentator said Endeavour took quite a beating and it was a miracle she was in one piece.

 

[halman]

1207,<br /><br />There is a well written article on the New York Times homepage pointing out that EVERY shuttle flight has come back with damaged tiles. It goes on to state that the amount of data generated during this launch could prove to be a problem, as even tiny defects can be detected.<br /><br />What I think that everyone should bear in mind is that damage to the Thermal Protection System is to be expected, and even severe damage has not resulted in the loss of the vehicle. Columbia suffered catastrophic damage at one of the most critical points, the leading edge of the wing. Even that damage may have been survivable if flight managers had known about it, and changed the trajectory during re-entry to avoid putting stress on the left wing.<br /><br />The shuttles have proven themselves to be remarkably robust, compared to the dire warnings of disaster during its construction. And I can not stress this enough: Both shuttle disasters were the result of management decisions to fly, either when it was recomended that they shouldn't, or when they knew there was a problem with foam strike damage! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> The secret to peace of mind is a short attention span. </div>

 

[llivinglarge]

Even if that is true... We simply can't ignore the data and allow the shuttle to further damage itself due to missing tiles during reentry. <br /><br />Just because the data and videos we are seeing for STS-114, wasn't available for past missions, it doesn't mean those missions were any safer or debris-free...<br /><br />BTW, I've heard that a thermal tile at over 5000 degrees fahrenheit feels like a warm stove.

 

[botch]

You need to learn to chill. NASA is not ignoring any potential damage to the tiles. The space shuttle is safer than it has ever been, so sit back and enjoy the mission for goodness sake <img src="/images/icons/rolleyes.gif" />

 

[davp99]

WOW...<br /><br />What A GREAT DAY huh...<br /><br />Just Adding my Pats on the Backs to ALL the Shuttle People here...<br /><br />It was a Great Day for AMERICA...<br /><br />Even my Dad was stoked with the Launch, and everyone i talked to yesterday, The SHUTTLE was Topic No.1...<br /><br />So, Heres to A Great Mission...<br /><br />And Of Course, A Happy Landing......<img src="/images/icons/cool.gif" /><br /><br />(Just Happy i could Finally Change my Sig Line) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="4">Dave..</font> </div>

 

[mattblack]

Hey guys!! I got on TV here in New Zealand, talking about Discovery's launch. Follow the link below if you're curious to the video clip of me stammering away:<br /><br />http://xtramsn.co.nz/news/0,,11964-4606502-300,00.html<br /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p>One Percent of Federal Funding For Space: America <strong><em><u>CAN</u></em></strong> Afford it!!  LEO is a <strong><em>Prison</em></strong> -- It's time for a <em><strong>JAILBREAK</strong></em>!!</p> </div>

 

[botch]

Wow! You did a great job explaining everything in a clear objective way. We need more people like you on TV.<br />I didn't think much of that male presenter, though.

 

[mattblack]

Actually, I've never thought much about Paul Henry either, until I met him: He was a nice guy!! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p>One Percent of Federal Funding For Space: America <strong><em><u>CAN</u></em></strong> Afford it!!  LEO is a <strong><em>Prison</em></strong> -- It's time for a <em><strong>JAILBREAK</strong></em>!!</p> </div>

 

[earth_bound_misfit]

Job well done Matt!!! Good work if you can get it <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------- </p><p>Wanna see this site looking like the old SDC uplink?</p><p>Go here to see how: <strong>SDC Eye saver </strong>  </p> </div>

 

[mattblack]

Well, I didn't get paid for it! I've been on their show four times now, and because our organisation, The N.Z. Spaceflight Association, is strictly non-profit. The IRS here is worse because we're a very small country!!<br /><br />http://www.nzspace.org.nz/<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p>One Percent of Federal Funding For Space: America <strong><em><u>CAN</u></em></strong> Afford it!!  LEO is a <strong><em>Prison</em></strong> -- It's time for a <em><strong>JAILBREAK</strong></em>!!</p> </div>

 

[star_sirius]

Here's the timeline for today's agenda, I found Space Flight Nows timeline darn accurate! <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="0" color="#10bdee"><strong>A dazzling bluish luminosity from A distant south pacific.</strong></font><p><br /><img id="cb51e87e-8221-424c-8ff2-78c95122196c" src="http://sitelife.livescience.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/11/15/cb51e87e-8221-424c-8ff2-78c95122196c.Large.jpg" alt="blog post photo" /></p> </div>

 

[shuttle2moon]

NASA TV looks like it is showing the tile inspection!

 

[CalliArcale]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>thanks for the info najab but dose any one know how much horse power the shuttle has <p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />I'm not sure what it would be if expressed in horsepower, but the SRBs (the boosters) each provide 3,300,000 pounds of thrust at liftoff. The three SSMEs (the main engines) each provide 375,000 pounds of thrust at sea level if throttled to 100%; I'm not sure what they're at at liftoff, but they have a range from 65% to 104% thrust. Assuming they're at 100% thrust, that comes to a total thrust for the entire vehicle at sea level of 7,725,000 pounds of thrust. This is considerably more thrust than any other rocket flying today. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[halman]

livinglarge,<br /><br />Perhaps you do not understand the role that the Thermal Protection System fills, which is understandable, seeing as these things are rarely discussed anywhere. During re-entry, the shuttle pushes through the extreme upper atmosphere at several miles per second. At this speed, an object creates a shock wave, which travels with the object. This shock wave is what actually deflects the molecules of gas which are in the way, in the process imparting energy to them. This is how the shuttle loses the energy it aquires during liftoff, some 5 miles per second.<br /><br />The molecules that are pushed out of the way are heated to the point where the electrons are stripped away from the outer shells, which causes the molecules to form a plasma, which envelops the shock wave. This plasma can reach temperatures of around 12,000 degrees Farenhiet, which is hot enough to vaporize just about anything. However, the shock wave prevents this plasma from actually touching the orbiter, keeping the plasma at varying distances away from the shuttle, depending on location. The belly has the closest areas, and heat is transferred across the shock wave by radiation, as well as conduction, as the air comprising the shock wave is gradually pushed back and forth. The leading edges of the wings are another area that the plasma pushes close to the orbiter, and it was the defect in the leading edge which allowed wisps of plasma to enter the wing, due to the irregular shape of the shock wave in that area.<br /><br />The ceramic tiles used on the shuttle are a wonderful creation, made possible by years of research. A material had to be found that was capable of absorbing heat very rapidly, heat in the range of thousands of degrees, but to prevent that heat from traveling through the material quickly. Because the duration of the re-entry where plasma temperatures occurs is fairly brief, some 15 minutes, I believe, the tiles are able to absorb this tremendous heat, and the <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> The secret to peace of mind is a short attention span. </div>