1134 SOS , SE 030 569 AUTHOR Allaway, Howard . TITLE The Space Shuttle At Work. , INSTITUTION .National Aero.nauticts5and Space Administration, Washington,D.C. REPURT NASA-EP-156; -NASA-SP-432 puB DATE, w NOTE 92p.; Zolored photographs will tot reproduce'well. AVAILABLE FROM'Superintpndent of Documents, U.S. Gtvernient PriatiAg Office, Washington, 06 20402 IS.t.ock No. ... 033-000-0077,9-5: No priceluoited). EARS PRI CE NFO1IPCO4 ,Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Aexospace Education; *Aerospace Technology; Aircraft 'Pilots; Astronomy; 'Aviation Technology; *Futures (Of , Society); Science Education: Scientific Researcii; .... Secondary Education; Secondary School Science;' *Spa,Ca' Sciences; *Techxological Advancement , ABSTRACT This report descrIbes the Space Shuttle tvehiCles Ito is prepared by the Scientific and Technical Information Branch and Division of Public Affairs of the Natitnal Aeronautics and apace Administration. The book is divVed into nine chapters in4u4ing./ information about the launching, flight, and orbit ofthe/ships; the satellites and previous space zaisqipzs that p`receded the% Space JO ttle; cost and design and what iinfluenced the design; typical ojects in space; a-ad future po'ssibilities in space., -The :text is accompanied by photographs and illustrations both in colop' and black inchwhite. A. large fold-out diagram of the inside of the Orbiter is included.(SA) I. .1% S. 4 ********************************************************** Eiproductions st4p-1iedy EDPS are the best that can frbm t.!:e original document. **************************************************.**********, U.I. VS PMSTAinlit OF 141AVist. 11011.C.AVO14ISAREFilatir flaTses4s.1.ttiSTOM9St ;SOOSAVO/C The 6.:71441 csocumera .-HAS ntri RtilRo- OUCO EgAcItif pAs lAttivED FROM' ..;;;;,mk PERsOgonOttOANtrATION ontoln- fir ATING 11 POWISOF VIW0ROPIP4IONS ,Ipeace Shutge -'" StATEO DO tWf NECESSAR1Lv REFRE- SENTdFFICIAL, NATIONAvNSTIttiTE OF At ork ,,v041;s4 ices posrposs on POLIcv Howard A way tot a 10, Scientific and Technical Information Branch and Division of Public Affairs % NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE-ADMINISTRATION Washington, D.C. k , .1979 \., MAR 3 1 1980 a a a a a a a 0 4 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data laway,. Howard. Mr space snutile at work. (NASA SP :432) , ;Includes index. 1. Reusable space vehicles. 1. Title. 11. Scrics: Unit0a cs. National Aero- nautics and Space Administration. NASA SP ; 432. ,; 11.795.5.J/139 x, (,29.44 7 -18459 * US, GOVERMENT PRINTING ornct : 190 O' Q-Z73 For snle the Superintendent nri)oeunwnts, govkrfilrientPrinting Office Wnshhen. D.C. 204 - Price Stoll.; No. teem -o0779 ,g No,,NAS 1) :156 4s, ForCu JO;d . Withthe first orbital flight of ihe M3ace Shuttle, the curtaincses on an erathat will shape U.S. space explortion for the next decade, and perhaps forthe remainder of the century. Columbia and her sister Ships will be fat more than odd:looking heavy-lifi,launch vehicles, though they will bethat. Each Space Shuttle will bean element in a total transportation systemlinking Earth witlk space:vehicles; ground facilities,a communications net,trained crews, established freigfitiates and flight `schedule's----and the prospect of numerous important and exciting tasks to be done. Columbia will be as different from previous one-use space vehicles as an ocean freighter differs fromthe Clermont. Althoughthe Space Shuttle has been a rong time in development and won't be workaday for several years,it will transforin space travel. WKwill go.into space notjust to meet the challenge of exploration but to do many useful and productive jobs; at reduced cost, returningagain and again..We are initiating an era of "routine utilization" of space,and it signifies-a neyirepoch in the history of the planet. dAs the Space Shuttle first ascends above the atmosphere, itis fitting to describe 4 the new space transportation system: how i t came to be,why it is designed the way it is, what we expect of it,how it may grow. This book is such a descriptidn. All new., technologies can be expected toundeilo chinge and adaptation. It is natural for.an endeavor as revolutionary as the Space Shuttle todevelop in different and unforeseen ways. For this reason, aci accountof the initial expecta- tions for this remarkable venture should have value. Icommend the followinl narrative that describes how the United States plans tonuke space an extension of life on the Earth's surface. June 1979 ADLAI E. STEVENSON Chairman, Subcommittee on 4, Science,T echnology and Space United States Senate Contents 1. A Week's Work .0. 1 2. The Uses of Space 11 41t 3. More, Better, CReaper 21 4 4. What Shaped the.Design 1 29 35 5. Prom Earth to Orbit' ...., 6. The Amazing Orbiter , 41 7. At Work Aloft . 1 \ . 8. Airline to Space iN.. .'57 ,9. Plans, Possibilities, and Dreams . Acknowledgments .. 1 Index . 4 J .9. t "wiN* .;` ' 4 $11 : 4 4 ;' *Az' -^ *. '4 -k ' , ,77,77400..e& "7.-V,4"7.7.7.7,7r; ''':=;;"flitt § " ,k1,6 1:. J..,A:wi 4 +-AV. s--,74-sa-s, , ve, 4 ; )4* 4cePlx-' .6..w. 5 9-7 . AN UNLIKELY WOKING FLYING MACHINE stands on its tail above the waterY, thicketed Florida sandscape.'the time is the mid-1980s, and the Space Shuttle preparing forlaunch is one!,4 a fieet of four 'that now plies routinely,about one round trip a week, between the United Stares and Earth orbit. .. 'Mae first true aeroipace vehicle, the Shuttle'takes off like. 1. tiL rocket, Operates inorblt is a space9raft, and lands like an airplane. To do this takes a canplex configuration of three , MaiweJements: the Oibiter; a delta-winged spacecraft-aircraft, AiVeekc about the length of a twiri-jet copmercial airliner, but much bulkier, and built to lait for at feast 100 flights; .a like expendable External Tank4ontaining half a million gal- ork and; at- ,Ions of propellants; secured to the Orbiter's belly; tached to thh sides of, the tank, a pair of reusableSolidAocket Boosters, each longer and fatter than a railway tank car. The Ountdowri clocks blink to 2ero on the, consoles in Launch Control at the Kennedy Spare Center, in Mission Con- trol at the Johnson Space Center, Texas, and in the. Shuttle's cabin. Three main engines in the Orbiter's stern ignite, gulp- ing liquid hydrogen and liquid *gen from theExternal Tank through feedlines thicker than a man's body. AstheY ....61 build to 90 percent of full power, in about fourseconds, the two Solid Rocket Boostersbegin- firing in a storm of fiarne and smoke. The whole aisgmblage rises from the samemobile launching platforro that was once used for Saturn V rockets that sent Apollo astronauts to the Moon. ,Clear of the gervicing rower, the,Shut tle turns toward its destination in space and begins arcirig over on itsbackthe crew heads-down, the tank andboosters on top of the upside- down Orbiterand slants up over the open Atlantic,its 0 dicection controlle4 by slight swiveling of the enginesand rocket nozzles.in their spacioui cabin up front, the crewof three astronautsind a scientist feel no more acceleration than a comfortable three timesnormal gravity. They wear ordinary clothes, .work 'at room temperature, and breathe normal air at sea-level pressure. After two minutes of flight, 50 kilometers *( 31 miles) up, the two solid-fuei boosters, their work slone,'burn out, are cut loose from' the tank by explosive separation devices,and are pushed clear by, small rocket motors. The spentboosters coast upward to about 67 kilometers, then drop back toward the sea. At 4.7 kilometers eachdiscards its nose cap and ejects a small parachute; this pulls out a .larger chuteflit, in turn,- - 2pulls out three bigger main c'hutes. Thes e lower the burned- ILa storm of &me, five giarit rockets deliver al out rocket case, nozzle first, into the ocean about 280 kilo- seven million poands of ammo as the mornens of meters (175 miles ),rom the launch site. Waiting tugs collect lift-off. the parachutes, attach lines to the rocket cases, and p4mp in air so that they float, horizontalbr while being towed ashore to be repacked with propellant fOr.reuse. The Orbiter's three main engines continue firing untikabout eight minutes into flight, then shut down juit before orbital velocity is reached. Ten -to fifteen second; later the big Exter- nal Tank,Vrnost empty, is cast oft like the booster, rockets A slow roll to the beadsTdown position occurj art& veh-icle, acceleratini at a relahlielY mild 3g rate, climbs toward space.. a After two minutes, about 30 milesup, their wor##ne; earlier, and follows a ball trajectory. 18 500 kilometers 3, the two said rockets are cut loose asshoved aside by, down range. Unlike the ...ters, it breaks up reentering the 1 small rockets. They'll be recovered by achute. atmpsphere, its surviving fragments falling into a remove ocean areathe only main element of the Shuttle thatdoesn't return to Earth to be itsed again. Free,f the tank, the Orbiter, aftei coasting fOr' a short-time, fires two small maneuvering enginesfed froM internal tanks---for about .105 seconds lb reacho4bitalvelocity of 7847 hiders a second ( 17 500 mph) . The. initigd orbit ranges from 110 km (60 n. mi,) at its lowest point to . The Orbiter in orbit, with cargo bay doors closed. In airless and weightless INGO, Os .thruster.; can orient it in any direction desired. The trip up from the pad takes less than 10 ,mingtes. .1 a C 4 gioSk 4280 km (150 n. mi.) at the apogee. A second firing of 95 sec-, onds, half Akay around the world from the launch site, ;re- Thapes the egz-shaped flight path to a circular orbit, andi.rie Space Shuttle is rea dy. to go to work. /1 From forward-facing seats, much like those in.an airliner cockpit, the NASA *astronauts sOving.