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Weather Support to the Space Shuttle – An Historical Perspective Dan G. Bellue1, Billie F. Boyd2, William W. Vaughan3, Tim Garner1, Johnny W. Weems2, John T. Madura4, and Harold C. Herring5 1Spaceflight Meteorology Group 245th Weather Squadron 3 University of Alabama in Huntsville 4 5 Kennedy Space Center Computer Sciences Raytheon 1. INTRODUCTION The primary launch site since America’s entry in the on the specified mission performance capabilities. 1950’s into the space race (and for all American These were expressed in the Level I and II program manned launches) has been the east coast of Central definition and requirements. The initial Space Shuttle Florida, home of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station natural environment design requirements were based (CCAFS) (part of the Air Force’s Eastern Range (ER)) on those for the Saturn-Apollo. They were tailored and and the National Aeronautics and Space supplemented to meet the needs of the Space Shuttle, a Administration’s (NASA) Kennedy Space Center (KSC). vehicle that involved many of the characteristics of a Prior to the first Space Shuttle launch 12 April space vehicle and conventional aircraft. The 1981, the Air Force assumed sole operational responsibility for most of the definitions of these responsibility (1 October 1978) for weather support at requirements and their interpretation for design KSC (including ground processing and launch applications rested mainly with the Aerospace operations) in addition to Air Force launches at the ER. Environment Division at the NASA Marshall Space That Air Force support continues today and is provided Flight Center. Much of this effort benefited from the by the 45th Weather Squadron (45 WS). “lessons learned” during the Saturn-Apollo program. The NOAA National Weather Service’s Spaceflight Some of these lessons, along with those from the Space Meteorology Group supports NASA at the Johnson Shuttle development and operations, will be addressed Space Center (Brody et al., 1997) for all Space Shuttle in this section. flight operations, which includes weather forecasts for Space Shuttle landings at KSC and abort sites. 2.2 Design Requirements The NASA Johnson Space Center was assigned as Space Shuttle Program Manager (19 March 1972) for The natural environment design requirements for the Space Shuttle with NASA Marshall Space Flight the Space Shuttle were documented and maintained as Center being responsible for the propulsion systems Appendix 10.10 of the Level II Program Definition and development. It’s Aerospace Environment Requirements, JSC 07700, Volume X “Space Shuttle (subsequently Atmospheric Science) Division also Flight and Ground System Specifications”. As the provided the natural environment requirements and development of the Space Shuttle proceeded from the interpretations for the design and development of the initial design studies, this document was modified and Space Shuttle. expanded upon to accommodate the needed natural Well into the Space Shuttle Program, (following the environment design inputs to meet the Space Shuttle Challenger accident) two other significant weather mission requirements. Included as source documents support organizations were added – the NASA Weather for natural environment design requirements not Office at KSC and the Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU). otherwise expressed in Appendix 10.10 were NASA- This paper will discuss all aspects of weather TMX-64757 “Terrestrial Environment (Climatic) Criteria support to the Space Shuttle, from its early design Guidelines for Use in Space Vehicle Development, 1973 phase through the Columbia accident (Winters et al., Revision’ and NASA-TMX-64627 “Space and Planetary 2004), 1 February 2003. Environment Criteria Guidelines for Use in Space Vehicle Development, 1971 Revision”. These 2. DESIGN SUPPORT documents provided the basic information on the natural environment for the Space Shuttle development. 2.1 Background Interactions during the design process for the Space Shuttle system and its various elements involved a The natural (terrestrial and space) environment variety of special studies and associated interpretations design requirements for the Space Shuttle were based regarding the natural environment requirements. These ________________________ were elaborated on within and expressed in the various *Corresponding Author: Dan G. Bellue, NOAA / engineering activities and processes used for specific NWS/Spaceflight Meteorology Group ZS8, 2101 NASA design issues. Figure 1 provides a schematic for the Parkway, Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058; natural environment definition and analysis process e-mail: [email protected] Fig. 1. Natural Environment Definition and Analysis Process for Space Shuttle Engineering Application. employed for the Space Shuttle engineering operations, ascent, entry, and landing phases, abort, applications. ferry operations and support for facilities, (4) lightning Some examples of the special analyses and discharges, (5) thermodynamic elements during ground reassessments that led to improvements in the operations, ascent, on-orbit, de-orbit, entry, and landing interpretation and/or definition of natural environment plus external tank sub-orbital entry, (6) ionospheric, (7) requirements for the Space Shuttle development relative radiation—galactic cosmic, trapped radiation, solar to the mission requirements include the following: (1) particle events, radiation dose limits, (8) meteoroid, (9) incorporation of a wind bias into the trajectory, thus astrodynamic constants, (10) thermal—ground and improving launch capability regarding maximum space environments, and (11) water impact and dynamic pressure (max-q) wind loads (2) assessment recovery conditions. Much of this information, and of cross-wind landing gear load constraint, thus leading subsequent updates from lessons learned during the to enhanced design improvement, (3) refined external Space Shuttle development and operations, were tank icing analysis regarding atmospheric effects inputs, incorporated into the NASA-HDBK-1001 “Terrestrial (4) re-entry heating analyses update using improved Environment (Climatic) Criteria Handbook for Use in Global Reference Atmosphere Model development, (5) Space Vehicle Development” available from the NASA solid rocket motor exhaust by-products dispersion Technical Standards Program Website assessments relative to atmospheric dispersion and http://standards.nasa.gov. This handbook is currently transport, (6) development of an ascent wind loads being updated and revised with publication expected in prelaunch advisory team, and (7) development of a latter part of 2005. monthly sample of Radar/Jimsphere Detail Wind Profiles for use in assessing the operational Space 2.3 Terrestrial Environment Issues Shuttle ascent winds loads capability regarding to launch delay probability. Experience gained in developing terrestrial The content of the Space Shuttle Natural environment design criteria for previous aerospace Environments Design Requirements document, vehicles, Redstone, Jupiter, and Saturn-Apollo, proved Appendix 10.10 of the Level II Program Definition and to be most effective. It was recognized that the Requirements, specifically addressed the following: (1) terrestrial environment design requirements for the avoidance of in-flight thunderstorm penetrations, (2) hail Space Shuttle should be: (1) available at the inception impact for Orbiter impact (crew safety) on windshield of the program and based on the desired operational during landing phase, (3) winds during ground performance, (2) issued under the signature of the Table 1. Key Terrestrial Environment Parameters Needed versus Engineering Systems (X) and Mission Phase (P) X Terrestrial Environment Parameter P Launch Vehicle Winds & Atmosphric Atmosph Solar/ Atmosph Clouds Humidity Precip Sea Severe Geologic Mission System s (Sub-) Gusts Thermodyn Constit Thermal Electricy & Fog or Hail State Weather Hazzards Phase Radiation System X P X P X P X P X P X P X P X P X P X P X Mission Analysis Propulsion/ Engine X X P P X X P X Manufactur- Sizing ing Structures/ Airframe X P X P X X P P X P X X P P Testing Performance/ X P X P P P X P P P P P P P Transport & Trajectory/G&N Ground Hdl Aerodynamics X P X P P P P P P P P Rollout/On- pad Thermal Loads/ X P X P P X P P P P P P P Pre-launch Aerodynamic Heat DOL cnt dn Control X P X P P P X P P P P X P Liftoff/ Ascent Loads X P X P P P P X P X P Stages Recvry Avionics P P X X X P P X P X P Flight Materials X X P X P X P X X X X X Orbital Electrical Power P P X X P X X P P Descent Optics P X P X P X P X P P X P P P Landing Thermal Control P X P P X P P P X P P P Post-land Telemetry, Tracking P X P X P P X P X P P X P P X P P Ferry/ & Communication Transport P P P P P P Facil/spt Eq P P P P P P P Refurbishmt Mission Operations X P X P X P X P X P X X P X P X X P X P Storage program manager and be part of the controlled program measuring, forecasting, and communications systems definition and requirements documentation, and (3) tailored to meet Space Shuttle operational needs. The specify the terrestrial environment for all phases of following sections of the paper address the significant activity including pre-launch, launch, ascent, on-orbit, progress made in these areas during the Space Shuttle descent, and landing. In addition, the natural **operational period. The knowledge of the terrestrial environment requirements “control point” representative environment design requirements was used for was an active member of the Space Shuttle design establishing test requirement for the Space Shuttle and team. designing associated support equipment. These data The terrestrial environment phenomena play a were also used to define the fabrication, storage, significant role in the design and flight of all space transportation, test, and preflight design conditions for vehicles and in the integrity of the associated systems both the whole system and the components that make and structures. Terrestrial environment design up the system.
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