Here is the Space Shuttle Atlantis with a camera attached to its solid rocket boosters, giving us a view of the ride up into the beginning of space and then back down into the ocean.
Next-generation ejector seat from NASA
November 30, 2008 @ 10:57 pm
If NASA development and research go as planned, future Space Shuttle missions could see the implementation of this powerful ejector seat that would propel astronauts far enough away from any danger of an exploding rocket.
According to WIRED, this new ejector seat can deliver half a million pounds of thrust which causes it to burn through more than half of its fuel in 3 seconds.
Judging by the video though, it looks like the act of ejecting from the Space Shuttle alone could be deadly for the astronauts as the sudden force could very well be many more times that of a standard Space Shuttle launch.
Space shuttle engine ignition in slow motion
May 18, 2008 @ 2:39 am
This is seriously the coolest video I’ve seen all week. The video info has some interesting information about the engine launch sequence.
Several things to note (if you care):
- The “sparks” are igniters meant to burn off excess hydrogen gas during engine start but before mainstage (full power) operation. Without these, a large cloud of explosive hydrogen and air could form under the Shuttle. If it exploded, it could damage the Shuttle structure or knock off tiles. These sparks DO NOT “ignite” the rocket engines. Engine ignition is accomplished by an internal “blowtorch” of fuel and oxidizer in each engine, which is ignited with sparkplugs!
- Notice that the engines start in a sequence which is about 120 milliseconds (a touch more than 1/10 second) apart. They do not start at the exact same time.
- At engine start, the engines are moved (gimballed) away from each other because they jump around during start. If they were too close, they might collide.
- The engine steering hardware is hydraulically “disconnected” from the engines during start so that the engines can bounce around without breaking the “steering linkages”.
- During engine start, before full power is reached, the exhaust (flames) disconnect or separate from the nozzle interior, causing violent thrust vector movements and misalignments. This is what makes the engines jump and wobble during startup.
- After the engines are fully started and running, the hydraulic steering is re enabled and the engines are steered toward proper liftoff angles.
- Once the engines are started, the Space Shuttle tips forward several feet, then springs back. When it is sprung back to true vertical (and if the 3 engines are OK), the two large solid rockets are started, hold down nuts are blown off with explosives and it’s LIFTOFF!
- For comparison, all THREE Space Shuttle Main Engines (not counting the two large, tall tubular solid rockets) generate about as much thrust as only ONE first stage moon rocket engine (the F1) did.
- The propellants for the Space Shuttle Main Engines are all contained in the big central “external tank”. Oxygen on the top 1/4 and hydrogen on the bottom 3/4. The fuel (hydrogen) is so cold it would freeze AIR into a solid “ice” which means fuel lines must be free of all air (they are purged with helium).
Here’s a similar space shuttle engine ignition at regular speed.
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