Tank connections on shuttle-how?

[robcaryh]

I hope this is the right place to post this. I have a question about where the external tank connects to the space shuttle.<br /><br />On the images of the bottom of the shuttle you can see the area where the connections are,but it looks like there are tiles there. <br /><br />When the tank disconnects,do some sort of doors close over where the connections are? I know one of the lines is 17 inches and I know it cant be left open like that during re-entry but I cant find any site that describes the process and I have always been curious.

 

[drwayne]

You might find this interesting:<br /><br />http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/reference/shutref/orbiter/sep/umbdoors.html <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>"1) Give no quarter; 2) Take no prisoners; 3) Sink everything."  Admiral Jackie Fisher</p> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

Basically, yes, there are doors that cover the umbillical cavities. They are covered with TPS tiles and are rather similar to the three doors protecting the landing gear. One of the umbilical wells has a camera inside it used to photograph the discarded external tank. This has been a feature of every Orbiter and has been used on every mission since STS-1. I think it takes a pre-programmed set of still images after ET separation, which are downlinked later. <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>