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Conference 7.286::space

Title:Space Exploration
Notice:Shuttle launch schedules, see Note 6
Moderator:PRAGMA::GRIFFIN
Created:Mon Feb 17 1986
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:974
Total number of notes:18843

597.0. "How to build your own Shuttle Orbiter?" by RICARD::NIS (Schmidt) Thu Feb 22 1990 10:59

    I'm playing a bit with building a shuttle model for VAX/FLIGHT and ...
    
I seem to find myself in loss of actual techspec information about the 
Rockwell International Orbiter and external tank and boosters, to be specific:

ITEM				MY GUESS		FACT
Orbiter Dry Weight		70 metric Ton		?
Orbiter Onboard Fuel Capacity	50 mTon			?	
Orbiter Max Payload 		20 mTon			?
Orbiter Main Engine Thrust	2000000 kg		?
Orbiter OMS (Orbit Modif Sys?)
		    Thrust	7000 kg			?
External Tank Dry Weight	700 mTon		?
External Tank Fuel Capacity	2000 mTon		?
SRB Dry Weight 2 of'em together	700 mTon		?
SRB Fuel Capacity (2 o'm tog)	700 mTon		?
SRB Thrust (avarage, 2 o'e tog)	4000000 kg		?
SRB burntime			80 seconds		?
Total Launch Weight		4000 mTon		?
Approx speed at SRB detach	2000 m/s		?
Main Engine burntime (at launch)400 seconds		?
Main Engine burntime to brake
	before re-entry		10 seconds		?
Re-entry speed (strato top)	5000 m/s		?

Lift and Drag roughly to reach approximate landing performance,
i.e. glide slope @ speed?

Ideally I'd like to lend the official Shuttle "User Reference", 
but situated in France I could imagine some difficulties obtaining
it. 

Another thing is the instrumentation of the launch pad and orbiter, 
what's in it? I've planned just countdown, RED & GREEN buttom for the pad 
and for the orbiter:

Standard Instrument Cluster
Shuttle Mission Monitor - with all the digital readout og nice data basis.
Some standard navaid including an SF 1000+ miles radar and the 
Flight Control Computer - external utility to monitor orbit and calculate
orbit changes (might not be included for some time); part of ground control's
job I know, but they'd been flying VAX sooner, NASA too could have it;-)
I would love to implement some HUD for landing and approach - to monitor speed,
descent rate and altitude (FLIGHT internal extension to FCC), but the 
slide-ruler approach I can think of isn't exactly easy to implement from a
math point of view - not being that much of a math-wizard.

In short: any help appreciated, you'll get a seat on one of the first missions,
and due credit in the release notes - if ever.

Nis

    Cross posted in FLIGHT conference - as a reply with a slightly
    different title, base note something 'bout SF real space FLIGHTs ~~~
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597.1Shuttle SpecsNETMAN::COHENNothing is EVER easy...Thu Feb 22 1990 22:4036
    Here is all my knowledge:
    
    ITEM                	FACT          
    Orbiter Dry Weight    	78,100lbs(35,500Kg)
    Orbiter Fuel Cap		For the main engines none, for OMS ?
    Orbiter Max Payload		32 tons
    Orbiter Main Engine(SSME) 	375,000lbs apiece 100% at sea level
    thrust
    Orbiter OMS(Orb. Man. Sys.) 2,000 lbs apiece
    External Tank(ET) Dry Weight78,100 lbs
    ET Fuel Cap.		Oxygen-143,000 gallons, Hydrogen 383,000
    SRB Dry Weight		185,000lbs each
    SRB Fuel Cap.		?
    SRB Thrust			2,650,000lbs each at sea level
    SRB Brun Time		On Avg 2 Min 10 Sec
    Launch Weight		4.4 million lbs(2 million Kgs)
    Speed at SRB Sep		?
    SSME Burntime		8 min 38 sec normal longer for ATO abort
    SSME Retrofire		none, the OMS retrofires for 2 to 3 min
    Re-entry speed		16,465mph
    Landing Glidescope		22 deg
    Landing Speed		215 mph
    
    As to landing sys here it is:
    	From Blackout to 18,00 ft TACAN is used or tactical air navigation.
    this gives distance and bearing readings every 37 seconds
    	Once the orbiter reaches the Heading Alignment cylinder or HAC this
    gives elevation, the angle of azimuth(left and right) and range to
    runway
    	The shuttle also has two onboard radar altimeters for precise
    altitude information.
    
    	Well that is it, hope I helped.
    
    		-Matt
    
597.2CorrectionNETMAN::COHENNothing is EVER easy...Thu Feb 22 1990 22:456
    Sorry! I listed the Orbiter Dry weight and the ET Dry Weight as the
    same. Here is the real info: ET Dry Weight-78,100lbs(35,500Kg), Orbiter
    Dry Weight-165,000lbs(75,000Kg)
    
    		-Matt
    
597.32e6 thanks ...RICARD::NISSchmidt - CSISat Mar 17 1990 10:1310
    re: .1+.2
    
    Matt, thank you very much for the details, they will be of great help
    once the shuttle-model production line is ramped up. I've been delayed
    a bit in reviewing this entry due to power plant problems. Now it seems
    as if it would be a good idea to await FLIGHT version 2.4 for the first
    shuttle launch, but the manufacturing process is begun - with good
    valid data; thanks to you.
    
    Nis
597.4NETMAN::COHENNothing is EVER easy...Thu Mar 29 1990 21:083
    Any Time
    
    
597.5Masses ?MAYDAY::ANDRADEThe sentinel (.)(.)Fri Aug 06 1993 04:5925
    
    
    I have recently started playing around with Earth to Orbit performance
    numbers for various things, Delta Clipper etc, and naturally I use the
    Space Shuttle for all comparations.   I would help greatly if the fuel
    masses and fuel exaust velocities   were added to info in the previous
    replies.
    
    I know that fuel gallons are given, but not knowing the density of 
    liquid H2 or O2 that leaves me nowhere. 
    
    Here is my guesses:
    
    Engine	Exaust V (Km/s)		Fuel Mass (Metric Tons)
    ------	---------------		-----------------------
    SRB 	3			550 (each)
    SSME	4.5			700
    OMS		3			 10 (each)
    
    
    * Also, each OMS thrust "must be" 20,000 lbs  rather then  2,000 lbs
    
    Does, anyone have the data ?
    
    Gil
597.6OMS ThrustLHOTSE::DAHLCustomers do not buy architecturesFri Aug 06 1993 10:489
RE: Note 597.5
    
>    * Also, each OMS thrust "must be" 20,000 lbs  rather then  2,000 lbs

I'm sure the OMS engines are less that 20,000 lbs thrust. I vaguely recall a
figure of 6,000 lbs (probably the sum of both), but I'm not very certain of
that. The 2,000 lbs figure (for a single OMS engine) may well be correct.
						-- Tom
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597.7PRAGMA::GRIFFINDave GriffinMon Aug 09 1993 10:311
Each OMS engine can produce 6,000 lbs. of thrust.