Space Shuttle News Reference, Study notes of Electronics

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Space Shuttle

News Reference

N/ A

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

CONTENTS

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B

C

INTRODUCTION ....................... 1-

SPACE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

PROPULSION .......................... 2-

Space Shuttle Main Engines ............ 2- Solid Rocket Boosters ................. 2- External Tank ......................... 2- ORBITER STRUCTURE ................. 3- ORBITER SYSTEMS ................... 4- Propulsion ............................ 4- Power Generation ..................... 4- Environmental Control and Life Support System ............................... 4- Thermal Protection .................... 4- Purge, Vent, and Drain System .......... 4- Avionics .............................. 4- ORBITER CREW ACCOMMODATIONS AND EQUIPMENT ...................... 5- MISSION OPERATIONS AND SUPPORT ............................. 6- Launch and Landing Facilities and Operations ............................ 6- Tracking and Communications Network.. 6- Flight Operations and Mission Control ............................... 6- FLIGHTCREW COMPLEMENT AND CREW TRAINING ...................... 7- TESTING ............................. 8- MANAGEMENT ........................ 9- CONTRACTORS ....................... 10-

APPENDIXES

Acronyms and Abbreviations ............ A- Glossary ............................. B- Unit Conversion Table ................. C-

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V

1. INTRODUCTION

Briefly...

The primary function of the Space Shuttle is to deliver payloads to Earth orbit. On a standard mission, the Orbiter will remain in orbit for 7 days, return to the Earth with the flightcrew and the payloads, land like an airplane, and be readied for another flight in 1 4 days.

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1-4 ORIGINAL PAGE IS

OF POOR QUALITY

1 • INTRODUCTION reuse.^ The Shuttle can be used to carry out missions in which scientists and technicians conduct experiments in Earth orbit or service automated satellites already orbiting.

The Space Shuttle is the prime element of the U.S. Space Transportation System (STS) (fig. 1-1 ) for space research and applications in future decades.

Satellites of all types will be deployed and recovered by the Shuttle. Carrying payloads weighing up to 29 500 kilograms (65 000 pounds), the Space Shuttle will replace most of the expendable launch vehicles currently used and will be capable of launching deep-space missions into their initial low Earth orbit. It will also provide the first system capable of returning payloads from orbit on a routine basis.

Shuttle crews will be able to retrieve satellites from Earth orbit and repair and redeploy them or bring them back to Earth for refurbishment and

Development History

In September 1969, a few months after the first manned lunar landing, a Space Task Group appointed by the President of the United States to study the future course of U.S. space research and exploration made the recommendation that "... the United States accept the basic goal of a balanced manned and unmanned space program. To achieve this goal, the United States should ... develop new systems of technology for space operation.., through a program directed initially toward development of a new space transportation capability .... "

In early 1970, NASA initiated extensive engineering, design, and cost studies of a Space Shuttle. These studies covered a wide variety of concepts ranging from a fully reusable manned booster and orbiter to dual strap-on solid propellant rocket motors and an expendable liquid propellant tank. In-depth studies of each concept evaluated development risks and costs in relation to the operational suitability and the overall economics of the entire system.

SSUS-A SPINNING SOLID UPPER

IUS INERTIAL UPPER STAGE MMS MULTIMISSION MODULAR SPACECRAFT LDEF LONG-DURATION EXPOSURE FACILITY TDRS TRACKING DATA RELAY SATELLITE

Figure 1-1 .BThe Space Transportation System.

TheSpaceShuttlewill bringwithinreachprojects thatmanyconsideredimpracticalnottoo long ago.TheShuttlecouldcarryintoorbitthe "building blocks" for constructing large solar power stations that would convert the unlimited solar heat and sunlight of space into electricity for an energy-hungry world. The components would be assembled by specialists transported to and supported in space by the Shuttle. The Shuttle could also carry into Earth orbit the modular units for self-sustaining settlements. The inhabitants of the settlements could be employed in building and maintaining solar power stations and in manufacturing drugs, metals, electronics crystals, and glass for lenses. Manufacturing in weightless space can, among other things, reduce the cost of certain drugs, create new alloys, produce drugs and lenses of unusual purity, and enable crystals to grow very large.

Space Shuttle Components

The Space Shuttle has three main units: the Orbiter, the External Tank (ET), and two Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB's) (fig. 1-3). Each booster rocket has a sea level thrust of 11 600 kilonewtons (2 600 000 pounds).

The Orbiter is the crew- and payload-carrying unit of the Shuttle system. It is 37 meters ( feet) long, has a wingspan of 24 meters (79 feet), and weighs approximately 68 000 kilograms (150 000 pounds) without fuel. It is about the size and weight of a DC-9 commercial air transport.

The Orbiter can transport a payload of 29 500 kilograms (65 000 pounds) into orbit. It carries its cargo in a cavernous payload bay 18.3 meters (60 feet) long and 4.6 meters (15 feet) in diameter. The bay is flexible enough to provide accommodations for unmanned spacecraft in a variety of shapes and for fully equipped scientific laboratories.

The Orbiter's three main liquid rocket engines each have a thrust of 21 O0 kilonewtons (470 000 pounds). They are fed propellants from the External Tank, which is 47 meters (154 feet) long and 8.7 meters (28.6 feet) in diameter. At lift-off, the tank holds 703 000 kilograms (1 550 000 pounds) of propellants, consisting of liquid hydrogen (fuel) and liquid oxygen (oxidizer). The hydrogen and oxygen are in separate pressurized compartments of the tank. The External Tank is the only part of the Shuttle system that is not reusable.

FRONT VIEW

TOP VIEW REAR VIEW BOTTOM VIEW

PAYLOAD ORBITAL MANEUVERING SYSTEM/ BAY DOORS REACTION CONTROL

FORWARDCONTROL SYSTEMREACTION _YSTEM

O" " Stateso

RUDDER/ SPEED BRAKE

AFT REACTION CONTROL SYSTEM

MAIN ENGINES

-- BODY FLAP

ELEVONS

NOSE LANDING GEAR SIDE HATCH MAIN LANDING GEAR

DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT WING SPAN .................. 23.79 m LENGTH ..................... 37.24 rn HEIGHT ..................... 17.25 m TREAD WIDTH ................ 6.91 m GROSS TAKEOFF WEIGHT ....... GROSS LANDING WEIGHT ........ INERT WEIGHT (APPROX) ........

MINIMUM GROUND CLEARANCES BODY FLAP (AFT END) .......... 3.68 m MAIN GEAR (DOOR) ............ 0.87 rn NOSE GEAR (DOOR) ............ 0.90 m WINGTIP .................... 3.63 m

Figure 1-3.--The Space Shuttle Orbiter.

74 844 kg

(78.06 FT) (122.17 FT) (56.58 FT) (22.67 FT) VARIABLE VARIABLE (165 000 L8)

(12.07 FT) (2.85 FT) (2.95 FT) (11.92 FT)

Figure 1-5.--A Space Shuttle flightcrew.

Crew

The Shuttle crew (fig. 1-5) can include as many as seven people: the commander; the pilot; the mission specialist, who is responsible for management of Shuttle equipment and resources supporting payloads during the flight; and one to four payload specialists, who are in charge of specificpayload equipment. The commander, pilot, and mission specialist are NASA astronauts and are assigned by NASA. Payload specialists conduct the experiments and may or may not be astronauts. They are nominated by the payload sponsor and certified for flight by NASA.

2. SPACE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

PROPULSION

2. SPACE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

PROPULSION

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Space Shuttle Main Engines

OPERATION OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE MAIN ENGINES ........................... 2- COMBUSTION DEVICES .................... 2- Ignition System ........................... 2- Preburners ............................... 2- Main Injector ............................. 2- Main Combustion Chamber ................. 2- Nozzle Assembly .......................... 2- ENGINE SYSTEMS ......................... 2- Hot-Gas Manifold ......................... 2- Heat Exchanger ........................... 2- Thrust Vectoring .......................... 2- Pneumatic Subsystem ...................... 2- TURBOPUMPS ............................ 2- Propellant Feed System Summary ........... 2- Fuel Turbopumps .......................... 2-1 2 Oxidizer Turbopumps ...................... 2- MAIN VALVES ............................ 2- Main Oxidizer Valve ....................... 2- Main Fuel Valve ........................... 2- Oxidizer Preburner Oxidizer Valve ............ 2- Fuel Preburner Oxidizer Valve ............... 2- Chamber Coolant Valve .................... 2- HYDRAULIC SUBSYSTEM ................... 2- CONTROLLER ............................ 2- Controller Functional Organization ........... 2- Controller Software ........................ 2-

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Briefly...

The three main engines of the Space Shuttle, in conjunction with the Solid Rocket Boosters, provide the thrust to lift the Orbiter off the ground for the initial ascent. The main engines operate for approximately the first 8.5 minutes of flight.

THRUST Sea level: 1670 kilonewtons (375 000 pounds) Vacuum: 2100 kilonewtons (470 000 pounds) (Note: Thrust given at rated or 100-percent power level.)

THROTTLING ABILITY 65 to 109 percent of rated power level

SPECIFIC IMPULSE Sea level: 356.2 N/..ss **(363.2_** Ibf/s_ kg \ I-_/

Vacuum: 4464 N/s (455.2 Ibf/s'_ kg

(Given in newtons per second to kilograms of propellant and pounds-force per second to pounds- mass of propellant)

CHAMBER PRESSURE 20 480 kN/m 2 (2970 psia)

MIXTURE RATIO 6 parts liquid oxygen to 1 part liquid hydrogen (by weight)

AREA RATIO Nozzle exit to throat area 77.5 to 1

WEIGHT Approximately 3000 kilograms (6700 pounds)

LIFE 7.5 hours, 55 starts

t 4.3 METERS (14 FEET)

L

. 2.3(7.5 METERSFEET)

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