1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,840 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve camera. 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:08,880 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you get in touch with technology? With 3 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:17,720 Speaker 1: tech Stuff from how stuff works dot com. Every Hello again, everyone, 4 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:20,040 Speaker 1: Welcome to tech stuff. My name is Chris Poulette and 5 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 1: I am an editor at how stuff works dot com. 6 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:24,800 Speaker 1: Sitting across from me as always a senior writer, Jonathan 7 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:28,080 Speaker 1: Strickland by rocket to the Moon, by airplane to the rocket, 8 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 1: by taxi to the airport, by front door to the taxi, 9 00:00:31,040 --> 00:00:36,320 Speaker 1: by throwing back the blanket hanging down the leg. Okay, 10 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 1: so we want to start off. This episode was something 11 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:41,239 Speaker 1: we haven't done in a while, and by that I 12 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:49,560 Speaker 1: mean some listener mail. This listener mail comes from Megan, 13 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:52,519 Speaker 1: and Megan says, Hi, guys, I love your podcasts. I 14 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: rely on them as a form of continuing education as 15 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:57,280 Speaker 1: I work on my own research and writing projects that 16 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:00,280 Speaker 1: relate to technology. As the data approaches for the launch 17 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 1: of the final Space Shuttle, I wondered if you would 18 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:06,920 Speaker 1: consider doing one or a dozen special episodes on space technology. 19 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:09,919 Speaker 1: One episode just on the Space Shuttle itself would be nice. 20 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:12,080 Speaker 1: How does it fly? What does it do? How does 21 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 1: it deliver its payloads? Into space without losing its air pressure. 22 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 1: And then I snipped a big part of her email 23 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:20,760 Speaker 1: because it relates to other possible topics we may talk 24 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 1: about the future. And then I go to thanks and 25 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:26,200 Speaker 1: keep up the good work, Megan. Yeah. I had to 26 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: keep that last little bit in, but it's good, you know. 27 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 1: I want to be inclusive. Yes, and Megan did have 28 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 1: several other suggestions, all of which are wonderful ones, and 29 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:37,560 Speaker 1: we will probably get to them in the future, but 30 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 1: we want to concentrate on the Space Shuttle right now. 31 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 1: Talking about trying to get us to talk about space 32 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: technology is doesn't require a lot of arm twisting, so 33 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 1: we just have to say, jiminy, yeah, we've already talked 34 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:52,680 Speaker 1: about some in the past and the older space tech, 35 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:56,640 Speaker 1: but um, yeah, I think that there are several in 36 00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 1: the future. Let's just say that, yeah. Yeah. And I 37 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 1: also add that we have a great article on how 38 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:05,560 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot Com about the Space Shuttle and it's 39 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 1: called Brace Yourselves How the Space Shuttle Works. And it's uh, 40 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:13,919 Speaker 1: it's really really well done. It's a comprehensive, very long, 41 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:17,679 Speaker 1: very involved article, lots of really great animations and illustrations 42 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 1: in there. I do highly recommend it um. It's it's 43 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:24,120 Speaker 1: I would call it one of our classic house stuff 44 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 1: works articles because it kind of pulls out all the stops. 45 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 1: So we're gonna kind of talk about the space Shuttle, 46 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:32,840 Speaker 1: and I thought we'd start with maybe sort of a 47 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 1: brief overview of the history of the program. So you've 48 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:40,919 Speaker 1: got NASA, you know, they're they've they've had their successful 49 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:46,080 Speaker 1: launches of getting astronauts into orbit, getting astronauts all the 50 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 1: way to the Moon and back safely. They've made some 51 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:53,920 Speaker 1: phenomenal contributions to science um. In around nineteen seventy two, 52 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 1: President Nixon announced that what he wanted to see what 53 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 1: what the next up in the space program was going 54 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:06,800 Speaker 1: to be, was to create a reusable space uh shuttle 55 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:11,840 Speaker 1: or Space Transportation System st s UM, so that we 56 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:14,519 Speaker 1: could actually keep using the same vehicle over and over again. 57 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:18,360 Speaker 1: Because prior to that point, the vehicles we've been using, 58 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 1: the capsules we've been using we're all one use, used 59 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 1: one time, and that was all you could use them for. Well, 60 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:27,120 Speaker 1: you know that that's one of the benefits. You know, 61 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 1: they're disposable. You can pick one up anytime you're out 62 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 1: on the road. Right You're right, you just go to 63 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:33,359 Speaker 1: your costco and hey, you know if I buy them 64 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 1: in bulk. No, no, that's not how that worked at all. 65 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 1: It was incredibly expensive to develop the capsules and you 66 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 1: could only use them one time. So this was an 67 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:45,840 Speaker 1: idea of creating a space program that would use the 68 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 1: same vehicle over and over, but there were some trade 69 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 1: offs that you had to make for that. One of 70 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 1: those trade offs was that you couldn't necessarily create a 71 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:58,880 Speaker 1: vehicle that could go into high orbits or to travel 72 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 1: to distant locations like the Moon or Mars. You could 73 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: only kind of launch into a lower but um part 74 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:08,000 Speaker 1: of that was this idea of a space Shuttle design 75 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 1: that could return by gliding down to the Earth's surface, 76 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:16,840 Speaker 1: as opposed to you know, plummeting and then uh launching 77 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 1: out a parachute and then kind of drifting down into 78 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 1: the ocean for retrieval. So the design meant that they 79 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 1: had to reconcile the fact that we would not be 80 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:28,799 Speaker 1: using this same sort of vehicle to go to places 81 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:32,920 Speaker 1: like the Moon or Mars. So this was a calculated 82 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 1: decision on NASA's part to kind of change the focus 83 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 1: of the space program. It was now no longer. Just well, 84 00:04:40,839 --> 00:04:45,560 Speaker 1: it was never just about being the first to the moon, 85 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 1: but that was a big part of it, right, The 86 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:53,360 Speaker 1: space race was in part a competition. Yeah, that that's true. 87 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:59,480 Speaker 1: The UH USSR Soviet Union was, of course. And this 88 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:02,520 Speaker 1: won't be a surprise to probably anybody who listens to 89 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 1: this podcast, but yeah, we we've talked about the space 90 00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:08,279 Speaker 1: race before between um, the United States and the USSR, 91 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 1: And you know, it escalated from the time of sput Nick. 92 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 1: You know, the the evolved the beeps UM up to 93 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 1: the point where they decided they wanted to go to 94 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:20,080 Speaker 1: the Moon and it was a competition to see who 95 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 1: could go and and set foot on the moon first. Um. 96 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 1: And you know it went from you know, who can 97 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 1: orbit the Moon or orbit the Earth first? And then 98 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 1: you know who can have you know, set foot on 99 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 1: the moon and then there this this presented greater challenges 100 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:39,919 Speaker 1: because the science involved. The idea of doing science and 101 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:43,680 Speaker 1: space UM is very compelling because there are things that 102 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 1: you can do in outer space that you can't do 103 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:49,560 Speaker 1: uh and within the Earth's gravity, like lots of flippies. 104 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:54,000 Speaker 1: Well yeah that too, but yeah, I mean this is 105 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:56,960 Speaker 1: the the also from what I understand, tang tastes best 106 00:05:58,000 --> 00:05:59,799 Speaker 1: if you're in if you're in a low Earth orbit. 107 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:02,920 Speaker 1: And yes, contrary to popular myth, tang was not created 108 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:05,920 Speaker 1: for the Space program. It just happens to be very 109 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:09,279 Speaker 1: handy in this in this content. But um, but yeah, 110 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:11,840 Speaker 1: I mean this was, this was we're talking about this 111 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:15,960 Speaker 1: as the early seventies, fresh on the heels of uh, 112 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 1: you know, the Apollo program. Yes, um, so this is 113 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:22,360 Speaker 1: really the next step exactly. And so NASA then awarded 114 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:27,040 Speaker 1: the prime contract for the Shuttle to Rockwell International, and 115 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 1: Rockwell International had to come up with different ways of 116 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 1: creating some reusable materials, including things like the tiles that 117 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:38,039 Speaker 1: help absorb heat upon re entry. That was a big thing, right, 118 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:40,679 Speaker 1: you know. It wasn't just that, uh that it needed 119 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:43,839 Speaker 1: to be able to fly to the surface of the 120 00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:46,359 Speaker 1: Earth safely, but it had to have something that would 121 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:50,359 Speaker 1: absorb and redistribute heat in a way that would protect 122 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:53,360 Speaker 1: the people inside and could be used over and over again, 123 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 1: as opposed to something that could only do it the 124 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:57,320 Speaker 1: one time. Right, if you if you go see one 125 00:06:57,320 --> 00:07:00,640 Speaker 1: of the capsules from the earlier space missions and say 126 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 1: the Smithsonian Institution, for example, and you actually look at 127 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 1: the heat shield on the bottom of the capsule and 128 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 1: how burned it looks from re entry. It's it creates 129 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:14,960 Speaker 1: an impression because that's a it's an awful lot of 130 00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 1: friction coming back home. You said the word friction, did, Yeah, 131 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:22,600 Speaker 1: what's we'll we'll address that when we get into re entry. 132 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 1: But before you guys right in about friction, just let 133 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 1: I want to let you know I will address that. 134 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 1: But you're kinda have to wait. Should we take that? No, No, 135 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 1: we need to keep that in because it's important. It's 136 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 1: important because it's it's sort of shorthand right from talking 137 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:40,920 Speaker 1: about the heat that's generated. But it's a little more 138 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:43,520 Speaker 1: complicated than that. And don't worry people, we will talk 139 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:45,840 Speaker 1: about it. We're just gonna talk about that when we 140 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:48,200 Speaker 1: talk about the shuttle re entering the Earth. Samus here, 141 00:07:48,680 --> 00:07:53,400 Speaker 1: So the the first shuttle that was ever built, you 142 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:55,000 Speaker 1: know the you know the name of the very first 143 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 1: shuttle ever built that was not designed to go into space. 144 00:07:57,560 --> 00:07:59,160 Speaker 1: It was just the first one that was built to 145 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:02,200 Speaker 1: test the flying capability, right, Yes, yes, As a matter 146 00:08:02,240 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 1: of fact, I have some history on each of the 147 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 1: spacecraft involved. Um and I remember this because I actually 148 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 1: have I still have it a lunchbox with this space 149 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:15,440 Speaker 1: particular spacecraft on it. What was from one from my 150 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:19,440 Speaker 1: younger days. Um, and that would be the Enterprise OV 151 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:23,360 Speaker 1: one oh one. Yes, this is a and And you 152 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 1: may wonder is this in reference to the the long 153 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:33,360 Speaker 1: loved science fiction series Star Trek. Yes, it is the 154 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:35,840 Speaker 1: inner the Shuttle Enterprise, which was not designed to go 155 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:39,480 Speaker 1: into space. It was only to test the the gliding 156 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:43,640 Speaker 1: and flying capabilities of the Shuttle to UH, to see 157 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:47,440 Speaker 1: make sure that the design actually worked. Um, that's all 158 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:50,080 Speaker 1: it did. So they launched it from a Boeing seven 159 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:55,400 Speaker 1: forty seven and it successfully flew and landed safely at 160 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:59,600 Speaker 1: the Edwards Air Force Space Yes, and it actually rolled out. 161 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 1: If think about it, we were talking about the early seventies, 162 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:04,400 Speaker 1: they didn't waste any time. The Enterprise rolled out on 163 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 1: September seventeenth, nineteen seventy six, So it was it didn't 164 00:09:08,679 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 1: take years and years and years to develop. I also 165 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:13,079 Speaker 1: want to say, is just as an aside. I know 166 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:14,920 Speaker 1: we've got a lot to cover, but it ended up 167 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 1: being sort of a recursive thing since the Enterprise space 168 00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:22,680 Speaker 1: Shuttle was mentioned in Star Trek as being the first Enterprise, 169 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:28,360 Speaker 1: So it's that I find that amusing. So uh, there 170 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:31,280 Speaker 1: were other the The actual shuttles that were used in 171 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:36,480 Speaker 1: space uh flights were the Columbia, the Discovery, the Atlantis, 172 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:41,080 Speaker 1: the Challenger, and then later the Endeavor. Now the Columbia, Discovery, Atlantis, 173 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:44,960 Speaker 1: and Challenger were the original four shuttles. Yep. The Columbia 174 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 1: was rolled out in seventy nine, Challenger in eighty two, 175 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:51,160 Speaker 1: Discovery in eighty three, Atlantis and eighty five, and Endeavor 176 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:54,800 Speaker 1: in ninety one. And the very first space Shuttle flight 177 00:09:55,320 --> 00:09:58,079 Speaker 1: as in going into lower thorbit was in nineteen eight one, 178 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:02,520 Speaker 1: and it was the Columbia. Yes. Uh. Now, again these 179 00:10:02,559 --> 00:10:05,080 Speaker 1: were all designed to go into low Earth or a bit. 180 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:07,240 Speaker 1: And I thought it might be interesting to kind of 181 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:11,200 Speaker 1: take sort of a an audio tour of the Shuttle. 182 00:10:11,240 --> 00:10:12,640 Speaker 1: In other words, we're just going to kind of talk 183 00:10:12,679 --> 00:10:15,360 Speaker 1: about the different parts of the Space Shuttle. And and 184 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:19,120 Speaker 1: this is um I kind of took it from pre launch, 185 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:23,760 Speaker 1: So this is the the whole kit and caboodle. One 186 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:25,840 Speaker 1: might say, it's not just the orbiter. And now that's 187 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:27,480 Speaker 1: what most of us think about when we think about 188 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:29,800 Speaker 1: the Space Shuttle. You think of the orbiter, which is 189 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:32,280 Speaker 1: the one that looks kind of like a funky airplane. 190 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:35,319 Speaker 1: But the the if you're talking about the whole Space Shuttle, 191 00:10:35,320 --> 00:10:40,000 Speaker 1: you're talking about three major sections. Your solid rocket fuel boosters, 192 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:43,319 Speaker 1: which do the lion share of the work when you're 193 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:46,640 Speaker 1: talking about launch, they do. They provide seventy of the 194 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:51,400 Speaker 1: thrust that's needed to lift off the launch pad. So 195 00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:55,000 Speaker 1: you're thinking, like, well, if the solid rocket fuel boosters 196 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:59,520 Speaker 1: are doing sev of the work, where's the other coming from. 197 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:02,839 Speaker 1: That's actually coming from the orbiter's engines. But we'll get 198 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:07,400 Speaker 1: into that. So the solid rocket fuel boosters are using 199 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:09,840 Speaker 1: a They use a solid rocket motor. It has a 200 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:13,680 Speaker 1: propellant that's uh uh. It's also got an igniter and 201 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:16,400 Speaker 1: a nozzle, so the nozzle courses where it directs the 202 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:21,400 Speaker 1: gases out so that it creates thrust. The fuel it 203 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:24,440 Speaker 1: uses is it consists of. While the fuel part is 204 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:29,719 Speaker 1: the atomized aluminum has oxidizers in the form of ammonium percolate. 205 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:32,959 Speaker 1: It's got a catalyst the form of iron oxide powder. 206 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:36,280 Speaker 1: It's got a binder agent which I don't even think 207 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:38,920 Speaker 1: I could even pronounce, and then there's a curing agent 208 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:43,360 Speaker 1: which is an epoxy resin, and this material altogether makes 209 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:48,080 Speaker 1: a solid rocket fuel. And this stuff weighs a lot, 210 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:50,920 Speaker 1: and you know that it's one of the one of 211 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:53,360 Speaker 1: the big challenges with space flight is the fact that 212 00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:57,000 Speaker 1: your fuel weighs so much. Um. In order to to 213 00:11:57,080 --> 00:12:00,520 Speaker 1: launch something of a particular mass into space, you need 214 00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:02,040 Speaker 1: a lot of fuel to get there. Well, the more 215 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:04,000 Speaker 1: fuel you add, the more weight you add, so you 216 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:05,800 Speaker 1: you have this problem where you've got to get the 217 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:09,720 Speaker 1: right ratio of fuel to counteract not just the weight 218 00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 1: of the vehicle, but the weight of the fuel as well. 219 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:16,400 Speaker 1: According to NASA, the Space Shuttle, if you wanted to 220 00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:18,720 Speaker 1: put it on a scale, you need a pretty big scale. 221 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:22,920 Speaker 1: It weighs more than two point zero four million kilograms 222 00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:26,800 Speaker 1: or four and a half million pounds at launch, and 223 00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:29,720 Speaker 1: uh it uses in in eight and a half minutes 224 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:33,600 Speaker 1: after launch. It uses more than one point five nine 225 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:37,439 Speaker 1: million kilograms or three point five million pounds of propellant. Yeah, 226 00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:43,240 Speaker 1: it's slightly less fuel efficient than a hummer. Yes, but 227 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:47,680 Speaker 1: hummer doesn't use solid fuel. No, no, no, But I 228 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:50,559 Speaker 1: wanted to mention something else that this this solid rocket 229 00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:54,200 Speaker 1: fuel booster, it's actually jointed it's not it's not one 230 00:12:54,280 --> 00:12:56,040 Speaker 1: solid piece. And if you were to ever actually take 231 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:57,800 Speaker 1: a look at one of these and just see the 232 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:00,920 Speaker 1: scale of it, how huge it is, you would understand 233 00:13:00,920 --> 00:13:03,640 Speaker 1: there's no building in of one piece. Would not be 234 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:09,880 Speaker 1: it would not be a practical Well, they use O rings, 235 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:12,720 Speaker 1: rubber O rings seals to seal the two sections or 236 00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:16,120 Speaker 1: the multiple sections together. Right, Basically, they're they're sort of 237 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:20,280 Speaker 1: like gaskets. Yes, so these are meant to create uh 238 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:25,040 Speaker 1: an airtight seal around the solid rocket boosters. Well, it 239 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:27,640 Speaker 1: was it was one of these O rings that caused 240 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:30,800 Speaker 1: the problem that led to the Challenger disasters. We wanted 241 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:32,760 Speaker 1: to talk a little bit about the disasters that have 242 00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:35,800 Speaker 1: happened in the Space Shuttle program. Well, the Challenger disaster 243 00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:38,320 Speaker 1: was a very famous one. And what happened was that 244 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:41,800 Speaker 1: when the day of that launch it was unusually cold. 245 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:45,680 Speaker 1: The cold weather had made the the rubber O rings 246 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:48,199 Speaker 1: shrink a little bit, so they were no longer properly 247 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:52,439 Speaker 1: sealing the joints. But in the solid rocket booster upon launch, 248 00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:55,760 Speaker 1: some of the hot gases, I mean we're talking incredibly 249 00:13:55,840 --> 00:13:57,959 Speaker 1: hot gases from the that were being emitted by the 250 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:01,280 Speaker 1: solid rocket booster were escaping through the joints because the 251 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:04,520 Speaker 1: O rings were no longer sealing them properly. Some of 252 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:08,040 Speaker 1: these cut through like a blowtorch. They cut through the 253 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 1: exterior of the external fuel tank, which is the next 254 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:13,719 Speaker 1: section we'll be talking about in a second. And the 255 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:16,240 Speaker 1: external fuel tank has two different kinds of fuel in it, 256 00:14:16,280 --> 00:14:20,080 Speaker 1: as liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. Well, the hot gases 257 00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:23,960 Speaker 1: from the solid rocket booster ended up igniting the liquid 258 00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:28,800 Speaker 1: hydrogen inside the external fuel tank, which then promptly exploded. 259 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:31,720 Speaker 1: That was what caused the explosion on the Challenger flight. 260 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:36,840 Speaker 1: So it was after that the spatial program actually stopped 261 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:39,920 Speaker 1: for a few years after the Challenger disaster while NASA 262 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:43,280 Speaker 1: was investigating the disaster and trying to determine what was 263 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:48,080 Speaker 1: the cause and how would the organization prevents such a 264 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:52,760 Speaker 1: thing from happening in the future. So ultimately you could 265 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:55,640 Speaker 1: say that the rubber O rings in the the solid 266 00:14:55,720 --> 00:14:59,600 Speaker 1: rocket fuel booster was they were to blame for at 267 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:02,640 Speaker 1: least that part of the Challenger to that disaster, the 268 00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:09,880 Speaker 1: whole initial um emergency that then lead to the tragedy. Yeah, 269 00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:13,840 Speaker 1: and it it those engines do get hot. They according 270 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:17,440 Speaker 1: again according to NASA. The temperatures inside the engines themselves 271 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:23,720 Speaker 1: reach more than six thousand degrees fahrenheit around three three thousand, 272 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:28,320 Speaker 1: three fifteen point six degrees celsius. Yeah, so that's you know, 273 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:33,280 Speaker 1: any any leak, it can be very catastrophic in a 274 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:35,640 Speaker 1: very very short span of time, as we have seen. Right. 275 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:39,160 Speaker 1: So that's our first section that we wanted to talk about. Next, 276 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:41,280 Speaker 1: we have the external fuel tank. Now, this is the 277 00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:45,560 Speaker 1: big kind of rocket looking thing that sticks to the 278 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:49,600 Speaker 1: shuttle even after they they jettison the rocket boosters. By 279 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:51,520 Speaker 1: the way, in order to jettison these things, they have 280 00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:56,680 Speaker 1: these explosive charges between the sections that that when they explode, 281 00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:01,600 Speaker 1: they break the the the links between one element in 282 00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:03,560 Speaker 1: the next, which, of course that means that you have 283 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:05,240 Speaker 1: to also be very careful with that because I mean, 284 00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:07,840 Speaker 1: anytime you're using explosives near a whole lot of fuel, 285 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:10,720 Speaker 1: clearly you've got to take a lot of precautions. Well, 286 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:14,200 Speaker 1: external fuel tank stores liquid hydrogen liquid oxygen, as I said, 287 00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:21,000 Speaker 1: and that's what provides fuel to the orbiters three main engines. Uh, 288 00:16:21,040 --> 00:16:23,640 Speaker 1: and it's uh, there's there's a six to one ratio 289 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:27,040 Speaker 1: for liquid hydrogen to liquid oxygen so there's far more 290 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:31,960 Speaker 1: liquid hydrogen on than the than oxygen. The external fuel 291 00:16:31,960 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 1: tank is a hundred fifty eight feet long, which about 292 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:36,640 Speaker 1: forty eight ms, and it's got a diameter of twenty 293 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:39,960 Speaker 1: seven point six ft or about eight point four meters, 294 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:44,920 Speaker 1: And when it's empty, it weighs a feather light seventy 295 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:50,760 Speaker 1: eight thousand pounds or thirty five thousand four UM, and 296 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:55,120 Speaker 1: it holds one point six million pounds of propellant, which 297 00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:59,160 Speaker 1: again seven nineteen thous so it's got a total volume 298 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:03,640 Speaker 1: of around five and twenty six thousand gallons or two 299 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:07,360 Speaker 1: million liters. So yeah, it holds. It holds a lot 300 00:17:07,400 --> 00:17:10,720 Speaker 1: of fuel UM and it's it's made out of aluminium 301 00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 1: and aluminium composite materials. It's got the two tanks. The 302 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:17,080 Speaker 1: forward tank is the one for the oxygen, the aft 303 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:21,280 Speaker 1: tank is for hydrogen, and then there's an inner tank 304 00:17:21,359 --> 00:17:26,320 Speaker 1: region that separates the two from each other. So this 305 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:30,240 Speaker 1: this UH propellant, it flows, It flows through a um 306 00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:35,960 Speaker 1: seventeen in diameter feed linet cimeters. I always have to 307 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:37,600 Speaker 1: try and do that because I keep forgetting that we 308 00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:39,360 Speaker 1: have so many people from around the world who listen 309 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:42,879 Speaker 1: to our podcast and we're used to using these outmoded 310 00:17:43,320 --> 00:17:46,159 Speaker 1: methods of measurement, and everyone else is much more forward 311 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:50,040 Speaker 1: thinking than we are. Then we uh So the fuel 312 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:53,520 Speaker 1: flows through this this diameter or the diameter this feed 313 00:17:53,520 --> 00:17:57,680 Speaker 1: line and goes to the shuttle's main engines and then 314 00:17:57,800 --> 00:18:00,200 Speaker 1: the oxygen. By the way, if you if you want 315 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:04,160 Speaker 1: to know how fast the the the fuel flows through 316 00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:07,240 Speaker 1: this line. The auction flows through at a rate of 317 00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:11,439 Speaker 1: around seventeen thousand, six hundred gallons per minute, which is 318 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:15,320 Speaker 1: sixty six thousand, six hundred liters per minute. Strangely enough, 319 00:18:15,320 --> 00:18:18,800 Speaker 1: we still use minutes in both systems of measurement. Uh. 320 00:18:18,880 --> 00:18:22,640 Speaker 1: Then hydrogen, though, flows at forty seven thousand, four hundred 321 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:25,600 Speaker 1: gallons per minute, or a hundred seventy nine thousand liters 322 00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:30,760 Speaker 1: per minute, so quite fast indeed. Yeah, well, I mean seriously, 323 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:34,080 Speaker 1: you could if you were using water instead of fuel, 324 00:18:34,119 --> 00:18:37,720 Speaker 1: the shuttles engines could drain a regular size swimming pool 325 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:42,199 Speaker 1: uh in about seconds. Yeah, which, and if you were 326 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:44,200 Speaker 1: using water instead of fuel, that would be the most 327 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:48,520 Speaker 1: awesome water park ever, although you could probably only go once. 328 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:52,040 Speaker 1: So the the fuel, they burn the fuel in the 329 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:56,960 Speaker 1: prechamber to create high pressure and then the heat and 330 00:18:57,000 --> 00:19:01,239 Speaker 1: the pressure from the gases drive turbopump, and then the 331 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:06,119 Speaker 1: fuels burned in the main combustion chamber. They direct the 332 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:08,840 Speaker 1: gases out of the nozzle at around six thousand miles 333 00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:12,560 Speaker 1: per hour ten thousand kilometers per hour, and that means 334 00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:17,600 Speaker 1: that each of the three engines can generate around three 335 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:23,359 Speaker 1: thousand to four seventy thousand pounds of thrust. Uh. And 336 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:28,399 Speaker 1: so that's you know, that's what's providing that other of 337 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:32,640 Speaker 1: thrust when the Shuttle is going to launch. Um. Now, 338 00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:38,040 Speaker 1: the the external tank is covered with a spray on 339 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:42,680 Speaker 1: foam installation, which leads us to a discussion, a brief 340 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:48,640 Speaker 1: discussion about the second Space Shuttle disaster, and uh, this 341 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:51,439 Speaker 1: is the Columbia disaster. Now, you may remember when the 342 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:54,399 Speaker 1: Columbia was coming in in two thousand three, when it 343 00:19:54,440 --> 00:19:57,200 Speaker 1: was coming up for the descent towards Earth, it broke 344 00:19:57,240 --> 00:20:03,040 Speaker 1: apart on re entry. Well, the investigation led to the 345 00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:07,199 Speaker 1: discovery that that the likely cause of that was that 346 00:20:07,359 --> 00:20:10,840 Speaker 1: a piece of this foam installation broke off of the 347 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:15,960 Speaker 1: external tank during launch and struck the orbiter and that's 348 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:19,160 Speaker 1: what weakened the orbiter and caused it to break apart 349 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:22,360 Speaker 1: upon re entry. And one of the most controversial things 350 00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:26,080 Speaker 1: about the the orbiter itself has been the heat resistant tiles. 351 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:28,520 Speaker 1: I mean even from the very beginning. I remember those 352 00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:31,639 Speaker 1: discussions when I was a kid, and um, you know 353 00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:36,160 Speaker 1: those they're they're made of a type of foam, uh basically, 354 00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:38,399 Speaker 1: and and they're they're delicate. I mean, even on the 355 00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:40,920 Speaker 1: very first missions they would notice that some of them 356 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:44,160 Speaker 1: would fall out. Um. And they've done a lot of 357 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:46,320 Speaker 1: you know, made made a lot of changes to the 358 00:20:46,359 --> 00:20:51,200 Speaker 1: tiles over the years, but um, they are still all 359 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:53,480 Speaker 1: things considered, even though they are very heat resistant, I 360 00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:57,600 Speaker 1: mean we're talking thousands and thousands of degrees and um, 361 00:20:57,640 --> 00:21:01,959 Speaker 1: because they do on re entry hit about three thousand 362 00:21:01,960 --> 00:21:07,199 Speaker 1: degrees fahrenheit actually comes back into the atmosphere forty eight 363 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:10,520 Speaker 1: degrees celsius. So I mean, even though they are amazingly 364 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:13,000 Speaker 1: heat resistant, they are remarkably fragile for all of that. 365 00:21:13,080 --> 00:21:15,639 Speaker 1: So they have to be very careful, um with that. 366 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:20,720 Speaker 1: And now they on on flights subsequent to Columbia's um accident, 367 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:23,639 Speaker 1: they have been very careful to check the outside of 368 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:26,840 Speaker 1: the spacecraft before re entry. Yeah, and there have been 369 00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:31,200 Speaker 1: spatial launch delays when they've discovered even the smallest of 370 00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:33,879 Speaker 1: of flaws which you know, as far as we know, 371 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:37,199 Speaker 1: could have potentially have saved the lives of other astronauts. Yes, 372 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:41,120 Speaker 1: it's of course it's impossible to know, you know which 373 00:21:41,119 --> 00:21:43,960 Speaker 1: ones would have successfully landed and which ones wouldn't. But 374 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:46,840 Speaker 1: it's much better to know that they've they've gone through 375 00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:50,959 Speaker 1: these sort of procedures in order to maintain astronauts safety. 376 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:57,080 Speaker 1: I mean, these these accidents were tragic and multiple ways. Uh. 377 00:21:57,240 --> 00:22:00,240 Speaker 1: First of all, and in my opinion, most importantly meant 378 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:03,480 Speaker 1: the loss of lives, and and that is truly a 379 00:22:03,520 --> 00:22:08,440 Speaker 1: tragic thing. Uh. It also in a more superficial way, really, 380 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:11,760 Speaker 1: when you look at the big picture, men a setback 381 00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:15,760 Speaker 1: in the space program um, which you know that's a 382 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:18,240 Speaker 1: problem as well, and we've had a lot of advances 383 00:22:18,280 --> 00:22:23,880 Speaker 1: in technology due to the Space program. So I admire 384 00:22:24,040 --> 00:22:27,440 Speaker 1: the fact that NASA has taken these incredible precautions, which 385 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:30,960 Speaker 1: when you're excited about a launch and you've planned a 386 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:34,360 Speaker 1: trip down to Florida to watch a launch, UH, can 387 00:22:34,400 --> 00:22:36,720 Speaker 1: be frustrating, you know, you go down there and then 388 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:40,400 Speaker 1: the launch is delayed because of this. But it's that's 389 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:44,160 Speaker 1: much better than the alternative obviously. So now we're moving 390 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 1: on to the orbiter. We talked about the solid fuel 391 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:50,440 Speaker 1: rocket boosters and the external tank. The orbiter is next. 392 00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:52,880 Speaker 1: So the orbiters, of course what we think of when 393 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:55,119 Speaker 1: we when we talk about the space Shuttle. That's the 394 00:22:55,800 --> 00:23:00,440 Speaker 1: very iconic shuttle. UM it has a like I said, 395 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:04,240 Speaker 1: three main engines, it's got an orbital maneuvering system. It is. 396 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:06,840 Speaker 1: Each of the orbiter engines, by the way, as fourteen 397 00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:09,879 Speaker 1: ft long or four point three meters and seven and 398 00:23:09,920 --> 00:23:12,240 Speaker 1: a half feet in diameter or two point three meters, 399 00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:16,280 Speaker 1: and each engine weighs six thousand, seven hundred pounds or 400 00:23:16,359 --> 00:23:23,040 Speaker 1: around three thousand and they are it's hard to get 401 00:23:23,040 --> 00:23:25,600 Speaker 1: a a vision on how big that is just when 402 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:28,960 Speaker 1: I start saying numbers. If you ever visit one of 403 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:32,399 Speaker 1: the the centers that has a Space Shuttle or has 404 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:34,840 Speaker 1: one of the engines there, to see it in person 405 00:23:35,040 --> 00:23:38,960 Speaker 1: is pretty phenomenal. I mean, it's it's a really you 406 00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:42,639 Speaker 1: start to grasp how big the entire vehicle is just 407 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:46,720 Speaker 1: by looking at one engine. Now, the orbiter consists of 408 00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:53,080 Speaker 1: there's a forward fuselage which has the crew compartment inside 409 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:57,000 Speaker 1: of it. Um. And it also has the the reaction 410 00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:00,360 Speaker 1: control system module. It's got a movable airlock which can 411 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:04,240 Speaker 1: be used to put inside the crew compartment or inside 412 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:06,960 Speaker 1: the cargo bay. Uh. Then you've got the mid fuselage. 413 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:08,760 Speaker 1: That's where the cargo bay is. That's you know, the 414 00:24:09,840 --> 00:24:12,159 Speaker 1: when we think of the doors opening out to space. 415 00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:16,800 Speaker 1: That's the mid fuselage area. That's where the payload for 416 00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:20,080 Speaker 1: the Space Shuttle will be in. Uh. Payloads could be 417 00:24:20,119 --> 00:24:23,240 Speaker 1: anything from a satellite that needs to be launched into orbit, 418 00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:28,800 Speaker 1: two pieces of equipment or material for the International Space Station, 419 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:33,760 Speaker 1: including of supplies for the International Space Station. Uh. Then 420 00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:36,399 Speaker 1: you've got it also has the remote manipulator arm, the 421 00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:41,240 Speaker 1: robotic arm that we've seen that helps position satellites and 422 00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:45,320 Speaker 1: the right uh orientation and that kind of thing. Then 423 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:48,040 Speaker 1: you've got the aft fuselage. So that's the back end 424 00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:52,040 Speaker 1: of the the orbiter. That's that's where the engines are, 425 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:55,720 Speaker 1: the main engines, so the orbital maneuvering system is there. 426 00:24:56,280 --> 00:25:00,679 Speaker 1: Um And then uh, that's so you can think of 427 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:03,159 Speaker 1: the orbiter and those three big sections. The one that 428 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:07,560 Speaker 1: the astronauts stay in the most is, of course, the 429 00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:11,119 Speaker 1: the forward fuselage. That's where the crew quarters are in 430 00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:15,040 Speaker 1: the control systems are for for the orbiter itself. Yeah, 431 00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:18,960 Speaker 1: I mean the crew module is UH, isn't three sections 432 00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:23,040 Speaker 1: where where the astronauts will work, live and and stow 433 00:25:23,080 --> 00:25:28,119 Speaker 1: their their gear. UM, And it's got UM. I was 434 00:25:28,119 --> 00:25:30,159 Speaker 1: looking something up. Did you get into the where the 435 00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:33,240 Speaker 1: flight deck and mid deck are? Okay? Yeah? The flight 436 00:25:33,280 --> 00:25:36,119 Speaker 1: deck UH and the mid deck, equipment bay and an 437 00:25:36,119 --> 00:25:40,640 Speaker 1: airlock are the three parts of the crew module. UM. Basically, 438 00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:42,840 Speaker 1: the flight deck is the you know, what you might 439 00:25:42,880 --> 00:25:45,439 Speaker 1: see in an airplane if you think about it in 440 00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:47,080 Speaker 1: those terms, you see where the pilot and the co 441 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:50,159 Speaker 1: pilot are, right and if if the shuttle we're sitting 442 00:25:50,240 --> 00:25:53,080 Speaker 1: on the ground, you know, horizontal flat on the ground 443 00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:56,960 Speaker 1: like exc. The flight deck would be the uppermost section 444 00:25:57,200 --> 00:26:00,679 Speaker 1: of that of the crew compartment. That's where you'll find 445 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:03,840 Speaker 1: the flight controls. UM has all the hand controllers, the 446 00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:07,360 Speaker 1: rudder pedals. UM. There are four people. There's for four 447 00:26:07,359 --> 00:26:10,880 Speaker 1: people on the flight deck UM, and you know it's 448 00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:14,119 Speaker 1: got all the everything they need to basically fly or 449 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:15,920 Speaker 1: you know, I guess what do you call it in space? 450 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:20,880 Speaker 1: I guess you call it flying? It navigating and space UM. 451 00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:23,480 Speaker 1: And if you're looking on the if you were in 452 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:26,600 Speaker 1: the cockpit, you would see the displays and the controls 453 00:26:26,920 --> 00:26:29,800 Speaker 1: for operating the orbiter itself, and there are a lot 454 00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:33,840 Speaker 1: of them. Yeah. Um. On the right you would see 455 00:26:34,720 --> 00:26:39,359 Speaker 1: the controls for handling payloads. Um. And it according to NASA, 456 00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:43,240 Speaker 1: again more than two thousand, twenty separate displays and controls. 457 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:45,879 Speaker 1: That's what you will find in the flight. And in 458 00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:49,439 Speaker 1: case you're worried about right versus left starboard, on the 459 00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:52,400 Speaker 1: starboard side, because it all depends on which way you're facing. 460 00:26:52,720 --> 00:26:54,879 Speaker 1: If you're facing the towards the front of the shuttle, 461 00:26:54,880 --> 00:26:58,960 Speaker 1: it's on the right. Yeah, yeah, that's true. Starboard side. Yeah. Well, 462 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:01,360 Speaker 1: you know it's funny that NASA didn't actually use port 463 00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:05,159 Speaker 1: and starboard in here. But uh, and mid deck is 464 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:09,920 Speaker 1: where you'll find uh four cruise sleep stations. Um. And 465 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:13,280 Speaker 1: uh you also find other types of gear, the waste 466 00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:22,479 Speaker 1: management system, toilet, the head yeah, um, a personal hygiene station, 467 00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:26,879 Speaker 1: and where you work and and eat there. Um. They 468 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:30,359 Speaker 1: do fit seven people up to seven people in a shuttle. Um. 469 00:27:30,359 --> 00:27:33,720 Speaker 1: The upcoming actually, as we're recording this, the the last, 470 00:27:33,760 --> 00:27:36,760 Speaker 1: the very last in a thirty year program Space Shuttle 471 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:39,520 Speaker 1: mission is about to uh launch on July eight, which 472 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:42,080 Speaker 1: is kind of why we are um. We actually recorded 473 00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:43,879 Speaker 1: several episodes before this, but we wanted to get this 474 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:47,840 Speaker 1: in before that. Yes we did, and the last crew 475 00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:50,760 Speaker 1: is actually going to be four people from what I understand, 476 00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:54,200 Speaker 1: so they can hold up to seven, but uh, you know, uh, 477 00:27:54,520 --> 00:27:56,360 Speaker 1: this last mission will have four. And the mid deck 478 00:27:56,440 --> 00:28:00,240 Speaker 1: also includes exercise equipment because one of the things we 479 00:28:00,359 --> 00:28:03,879 Speaker 1: learned in these these um missions is that if you 480 00:28:03,920 --> 00:28:08,479 Speaker 1: are in space for any significant amount of now granted, 481 00:28:08,520 --> 00:28:11,480 Speaker 1: Space Shuttle missions last between about seven and fourteen days, 482 00:28:11,920 --> 00:28:14,960 Speaker 1: depending on the mission, but you can so uh, you 483 00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:18,400 Speaker 1: can experience muscle loss and bone bone density loss. So 484 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:22,159 Speaker 1: the exercise equipment is there to help counteract that. It's 485 00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:24,240 Speaker 1: because you know, you're in a witless environment, so you're 486 00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:27,399 Speaker 1: no longer needing to support your own weight whenever you 487 00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:29,560 Speaker 1: move around, and everything is much easier. But that means 488 00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:31,680 Speaker 1: that once you get back down on the ground where 489 00:28:31,680 --> 00:28:35,800 Speaker 1: we do have gravity, um, it becomes a little bit 490 00:28:35,840 --> 00:28:39,080 Speaker 1: you know, you may suffer some some problems because of 491 00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:43,680 Speaker 1: muscle loss or bone density loss. So then in the 492 00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:47,640 Speaker 1: lower deck that's pretty much where equipment that's where it 493 00:28:48,360 --> 00:28:52,160 Speaker 1: quote unquote lives so life support equipment, electrical systems, that 494 00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:55,880 Speaker 1: kind of thing. And there are five on board computers 495 00:28:55,920 --> 00:28:59,959 Speaker 1: that handle the data processing and the flight systems aboard 496 00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:05,440 Speaker 1: the shuttle. So those five systems are are distributed throughout 497 00:29:05,480 --> 00:29:09,240 Speaker 1: this this area as well. And uh, you've got the 498 00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:12,720 Speaker 1: two orbital maneuvering systems engines that are located in the 499 00:29:12,760 --> 00:29:19,480 Speaker 1: aft of the the orbiter. These burn UM monomethyl hydrazine 500 00:29:19,520 --> 00:29:24,400 Speaker 1: fuel and nitrogen tech tetro oxide oxidizer. I thought you 501 00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:28,240 Speaker 1: could get through then I definitely bungled it at any rate. Uh. 502 00:29:28,320 --> 00:29:30,840 Speaker 1: This is a different kind of fuel mixture than the 503 00:29:30,880 --> 00:29:35,040 Speaker 1: external fuel tank obviously UM and also from the solid 504 00:29:35,040 --> 00:29:39,520 Speaker 1: fuel rocket boosters. Uh. And the reason why they're using 505 00:29:39,520 --> 00:29:42,080 Speaker 1: this subs these two substances together is that when you 506 00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:46,160 Speaker 1: combine them, they ignite even if there is no oxygen present. 507 00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:49,520 Speaker 1: So clearly, if you're going to go into an environment 508 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:53,360 Speaker 1: where there is a distinct lack of oxygen, that is 509 00:29:53,400 --> 00:29:58,360 Speaker 1: important mm hmm. So uh that and they use uh 510 00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:03,320 Speaker 1: nitrogen to help pump that fuel through, and and also helium, 511 00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:06,280 Speaker 1: the helium pressurized helium is actually used to move the 512 00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:08,920 Speaker 1: fuel through the system. Nitrogen is used to help clear 513 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:12,240 Speaker 1: it out once you're done maneuver doing your maneuvers, because 514 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:15,080 Speaker 1: you don't want any fuel sitting in those fuel lines, um, 515 00:30:15,120 --> 00:30:16,720 Speaker 1: because that could be a problem the next time you 516 00:30:16,760 --> 00:30:22,120 Speaker 1: need to use them. So then there's a whole section 517 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:26,520 Speaker 1: about the what the orbital maneuvering system can do. It's 518 00:30:26,520 --> 00:30:29,280 Speaker 1: actually can produce up to six thousand pounds of thrust, 519 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:33,080 Speaker 1: and um, you can accelerate the shuttle by two ft 520 00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:39,320 Speaker 1: per second per second. Remember acceleration is a change in velocity. Yes. Yeah, 521 00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:41,240 Speaker 1: as a matter of fact, I did find this one 522 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:46,720 Speaker 1: interesting fact. Um, the h the shuttle can go from 523 00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:50,200 Speaker 1: zero to seventeen thousand, four or miles per hour in 524 00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:52,720 Speaker 1: eight and a half minutes, just slightly faster than a 525 00:30:52,800 --> 00:30:56,960 Speaker 1: hummer and nine times the speed of a rifle bullet. Yeah, 526 00:30:57,040 --> 00:31:02,480 Speaker 1: so don't never mind. Uh yes, yes, why don't we? 527 00:31:02,600 --> 00:31:06,120 Speaker 1: Uh well, I have an interesting uh kind of breakdown 528 00:31:06,160 --> 00:31:10,560 Speaker 1: of what a launch sequence is like for leading up 529 00:31:10,600 --> 00:31:14,720 Speaker 1: to well half a minute before the shuttle actually launches. 530 00:31:15,760 --> 00:31:18,560 Speaker 1: So half a minute before the shuttle launch is actually 531 00:31:18,760 --> 00:31:21,360 Speaker 1: T minus thirty one seconds, meaning that in thirty one 532 00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:26,880 Speaker 1: seconds you're gonna have launch, assuming that everything is is coathetic. Yes, 533 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:30,520 Speaker 1: that there go, Yeah, that there go for launch. So 534 00:31:30,560 --> 00:31:34,440 Speaker 1: at thirty one seconds to launch, the onboard computers take 535 00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:39,720 Speaker 1: over the launch sequence, so the astronauts really are sitting 536 00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:42,000 Speaker 1: back and waiting to make sure that they are going 537 00:31:42,040 --> 00:31:45,480 Speaker 1: to launch. Uh. Six point six seconds from launch, the 538 00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:48,560 Speaker 1: shuttle's main engines ignite one at a time, and they 539 00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:52,920 Speaker 1: ignite point twelve seconds apart from each other. I always 540 00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:56,239 Speaker 1: love that part watching launch. Yeah, and they build up 541 00:31:56,280 --> 00:32:00,520 Speaker 1: to about oh a little bit over nine of their 542 00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:04,240 Speaker 1: maximum thrust at that point. Now, three seconds from launch, 543 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:07,280 Speaker 1: the shuttle main engines are in liftoff position, so they 544 00:32:07,280 --> 00:32:09,680 Speaker 1: have been They're all mounted on gimbals right, so they 545 00:32:09,680 --> 00:32:12,560 Speaker 1: can actually be directed. They're not they're not stuck in 546 00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:16,200 Speaker 1: a single direction, so they've been positioned and they are 547 00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:19,160 Speaker 1: at the correct amount of thrust for launch. That part 548 00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:22,360 Speaker 1: two team mine is zero seconds. This is the actual 549 00:32:22,480 --> 00:32:25,440 Speaker 1: launch part. That's when the solid rocket boosters are ignited, 550 00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:29,320 Speaker 1: and of course they produce the of the thrust needed 551 00:32:29,360 --> 00:32:33,320 Speaker 1: to get the orbiter or actually the entire shuttle off 552 00:32:33,360 --> 00:32:35,160 Speaker 1: the launch pad. So that's the point where you've got 553 00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:38,400 Speaker 1: enough thrust to counteract the weight of this vehicle and 554 00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:41,320 Speaker 1: launch it into the air. It looks like there's a 555 00:32:41,360 --> 00:32:43,560 Speaker 1: ton of smoke, but actually what comes out of then 556 00:32:43,680 --> 00:32:48,000 Speaker 1: the engines is mostly water vapor. Uh So, twenty seconds 557 00:32:48,120 --> 00:32:52,280 Speaker 1: after the launch you've got the first maneuver where the 558 00:32:52,280 --> 00:32:54,880 Speaker 1: shuttle will roll right about a hundred eighty degree roll 559 00:32:54,920 --> 00:32:58,920 Speaker 1: in adjustment of seventy eight degrees and pitch. A minute 560 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:03,160 Speaker 1: after launch, the shuttle engines are at their maximum throttle. 561 00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:06,800 Speaker 1: And then two minutes after launch, your solid rocket boosters 562 00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:10,000 Speaker 1: will separate from the orbiter and fuel tank at about 563 00:33:10,640 --> 00:33:13,400 Speaker 1: they're about twenty eight miles up orty kilometers up in 564 00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:16,440 Speaker 1: the atmosphere at that point. Now, the main engines on 565 00:33:16,520 --> 00:33:20,400 Speaker 1: the the orbiter continue to fire at that time. Now, 566 00:33:20,480 --> 00:33:24,120 Speaker 1: once the solid rocket boosters separate from the rest of 567 00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:28,320 Speaker 1: the shuttle, uh, they will deploy parachutes and will land 568 00:33:28,360 --> 00:33:31,880 Speaker 1: in the ocean about room around a d forty miles 569 00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:35,840 Speaker 1: off the coast of Florida. That's about two kilometers and 570 00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:39,920 Speaker 1: then UH those will be recovered by ships and actually 571 00:33:40,000 --> 00:33:44,560 Speaker 1: be reused after being processed. Obviously, you can't just slap 572 00:33:44,600 --> 00:33:48,720 Speaker 1: them back on the launchpad. Clearly, seven and seven point 573 00:33:48,760 --> 00:33:52,160 Speaker 1: seven minutes after launch, the main engines are thralled down 574 00:33:52,440 --> 00:33:57,080 Speaker 1: to keep acceleration below three g's because otherwise you may 575 00:33:57,240 --> 00:34:00,160 Speaker 1: harm the integrity of the space shuttle itself. And a 576 00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:03,080 Speaker 1: half minutes after launch you shut the main engines down. 577 00:34:03,680 --> 00:34:07,240 Speaker 1: Nine minutes after launched, the external tank separates from the orbiter, 578 00:34:07,680 --> 00:34:10,200 Speaker 1: and the external tank actually will burn up upon re 579 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:14,200 Speaker 1: entry the Ten and a half minutes after launched, the 580 00:34:14,440 --> 00:34:18,160 Speaker 1: orbital maneuvering system engins fire to get the shuttle of 581 00:34:18,200 --> 00:34:21,359 Speaker 1: the orbiter into a low orbit, and forty five minutes 582 00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:24,799 Speaker 1: after launch, the UH Orbital Maneuvering System eensions will fire 583 00:34:24,840 --> 00:34:28,560 Speaker 1: again to place in a slightly higher circular orbiter orbit, 584 00:34:28,640 --> 00:34:32,120 Speaker 1: which is about two fifty miles above the surface of 585 00:34:32,120 --> 00:34:36,399 Speaker 1: the Earth or or four kilometers there you go. That's 586 00:34:36,520 --> 00:34:39,440 Speaker 1: that's the whole process of just getting the orbiter into 587 00:34:39,520 --> 00:34:43,280 Speaker 1: that that orbit around the Earth. Now. Of course, um, 588 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:46,600 Speaker 1: once they're up there, they will deploy satellites, they will 589 00:34:46,600 --> 00:34:51,839 Speaker 1: do science experiments. Sometimes they'll go for an extra vehicular activity. Yeah, 590 00:34:51,840 --> 00:34:56,080 Speaker 1: it's a space walk. Yes, the NASA terms UM E 591 00:34:56,200 --> 00:34:59,200 Speaker 1: V A is what then and yes, and then they'll 592 00:34:59,200 --> 00:35:02,560 Speaker 1: try to uh, you know, get everything ready, pack up, 593 00:35:03,280 --> 00:35:06,560 Speaker 1: uh you know, and it's time to head home. You know, 594 00:35:06,640 --> 00:35:09,040 Speaker 1: you wanted to to talk about that. They have to, Uh, 595 00:35:09,160 --> 00:35:10,759 Speaker 1: they have to. There are a lot of people in 596 00:35:10,840 --> 00:35:15,399 Speaker 1: the Mission Control Center that help the shuttle astronauts as 597 00:35:15,400 --> 00:35:17,839 Speaker 1: they're going through their mission. Um they will help them 598 00:35:17,880 --> 00:35:22,520 Speaker 1: position the shuttle in the correct direction to come home, 599 00:35:22,600 --> 00:35:26,000 Speaker 1: the right attitude exactly, and they also will make they 600 00:35:26,080 --> 00:35:29,000 Speaker 1: also monitor all the different systems aboard the shuttle, because 601 00:35:29,800 --> 00:35:31,759 Speaker 1: there are tons of different systems on there, right. I 602 00:35:31,760 --> 00:35:33,480 Speaker 1: mean when I say tons, of course, I mean there 603 00:35:33,520 --> 00:35:36,400 Speaker 1: are lots of them. So things like everything from what 604 00:35:36,440 --> 00:35:39,040 Speaker 1: we would call life support systems, so stuff that not 605 00:35:39,120 --> 00:35:43,279 Speaker 1: just distributes oxygen through the system, but oxygen at the 606 00:35:43,360 --> 00:35:45,480 Speaker 1: right mixture. You know, it's not going to be pure oxygen. 607 00:35:45,520 --> 00:35:49,200 Speaker 1: It has to be atmosphere that's comparable to the Earth's atmosphere. Also, 608 00:35:49,239 --> 00:35:52,879 Speaker 1: there have to be scrubbers that will scrub carbon dioxide 609 00:35:52,920 --> 00:35:55,960 Speaker 1: from the atmosphere so it doesn't get too stuffy or uh, 610 00:35:56,480 --> 00:35:58,239 Speaker 1: eventually it would get to a point where you could 611 00:35:58,280 --> 00:36:01,480 Speaker 1: not breathe um of the carbon dioxide. Scrubbers use a 612 00:36:01,560 --> 00:36:04,440 Speaker 1: chemical reaction where it takes carbon dioxide from the system, 613 00:36:04,680 --> 00:36:08,400 Speaker 1: combines it with another another compound and then you end 614 00:36:08,480 --> 00:36:12,240 Speaker 1: up getting a kind of a nert material and sometimes 615 00:36:12,280 --> 00:36:16,160 Speaker 1: water as a result. And that way you don't have 616 00:36:16,200 --> 00:36:18,759 Speaker 1: carbon dioxide build up in the cabin and also you 617 00:36:18,760 --> 00:36:22,080 Speaker 1: have to worry about maintaining heat. The heat inside the 618 00:36:22,120 --> 00:36:25,600 Speaker 1: space shuttle would continue to get warmer and warmer. The 619 00:36:25,640 --> 00:36:29,919 Speaker 1: electrical systems actually provide more than enough heat to keep 620 00:36:29,960 --> 00:36:31,920 Speaker 1: the shuttle warm, despite the fact that you would think, oh, well, 621 00:36:31,960 --> 00:36:34,479 Speaker 1: you know what, space is probably pretty cold. Well, that's true, 622 00:36:34,480 --> 00:36:37,040 Speaker 1: but the electrical systems on the shuttle generate enough heat 623 00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:39,240 Speaker 1: where they actually have to figure out ways to manage 624 00:36:39,239 --> 00:36:41,920 Speaker 1: that heat so it doesn't overheat. So they've got a 625 00:36:41,920 --> 00:36:45,480 Speaker 1: lot of different systems for that and uh, both passive 626 00:36:45,560 --> 00:36:48,440 Speaker 1: and active systems for managing heat. There are lots and 627 00:36:48,520 --> 00:36:50,480 Speaker 1: lots of other ones that we could talk about, but really, 628 00:36:50,520 --> 00:36:53,200 Speaker 1: if we want to talk about the re entry system 629 00:36:53,360 --> 00:36:58,640 Speaker 1: or the reentry process, um that gets uh, that's also 630 00:36:58,680 --> 00:37:01,920 Speaker 1: a very delicate procedure. Obviously, launching is going to be 631 00:37:02,840 --> 00:37:04,959 Speaker 1: a pretty delicate thing as well. You're talking about lots 632 00:37:04,960 --> 00:37:11,480 Speaker 1: and lots of of of very um reactive agents in 633 00:37:11,520 --> 00:37:15,560 Speaker 1: the launch process. Well, coming back down is also pretty tricky, 634 00:37:16,120 --> 00:37:19,120 Speaker 1: so here's the process that goes through a re entry. 635 00:37:20,120 --> 00:37:24,719 Speaker 1: They closed the cargo bay doors. That's clearly very important. UH. 636 00:37:24,760 --> 00:37:27,160 Speaker 1: And most of the time when the or the orbiter 637 00:37:27,280 --> 00:37:30,839 Speaker 1: is flying around the or in orbit around the Earth, UH, 638 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:32,960 Speaker 1: in relation to us, it would look like they are 639 00:37:33,080 --> 00:37:37,239 Speaker 1: upside down, like the top of the Space Shuttle would 640 00:37:37,239 --> 00:37:41,120 Speaker 1: be facing the surface of the plant. So they will 641 00:37:41,200 --> 00:37:45,560 Speaker 1: actually use their thrusters to turn the orbiter, and they 642 00:37:45,640 --> 00:37:49,080 Speaker 1: don't turn it so it faces directly like it's gonna 643 00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:54,759 Speaker 1: come down nose first. Actually they face it tail first. UM. 644 00:37:54,800 --> 00:37:59,399 Speaker 1: In order to start firing the the the oms, the 645 00:37:59,520 --> 00:38:05,680 Speaker 1: orbital neuvering system engines to slow the orbiter down, so 646 00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:09,680 Speaker 1: they're actually, you know, they're using it to to fire 647 00:38:09,719 --> 00:38:12,040 Speaker 1: in the opposite direction of their orbit to slow down 648 00:38:12,120 --> 00:38:16,400 Speaker 1: the the orbiter. And it takes about twenty five minutes 649 00:38:17,160 --> 00:38:20,480 Speaker 1: from the first time they start firing those engines to 650 00:38:20,600 --> 00:38:24,839 Speaker 1: the point where they reach the upper atmosphere. And at 651 00:38:24,920 --> 00:38:27,480 Speaker 1: that during that that twenty five minutes, they use their 652 00:38:27,640 --> 00:38:30,640 Speaker 1: thrusters in order to turn the orbiter over again so 653 00:38:30,719 --> 00:38:33,839 Speaker 1: that the bottom of the orbiter will face the atmosphere, 654 00:38:34,840 --> 00:38:38,080 Speaker 1: and UH, they're moving again where it's nose first as 655 00:38:38,120 --> 00:38:41,080 Speaker 1: opposed to tail first at that point, and then they 656 00:38:41,120 --> 00:38:45,080 Speaker 1: will burn all the leftover fuel from their forward thruster 657 00:38:45,280 --> 00:38:48,359 Speaker 1: system as a safety precaution because of course it's going 658 00:38:48,400 --> 00:38:50,040 Speaker 1: to heat up quite a bit, so they don't want 659 00:38:50,080 --> 00:38:53,279 Speaker 1: any fuel in that area of the orbiter before they 660 00:38:53,280 --> 00:38:57,719 Speaker 1: start to really gain lots of heat. Now, this is 661 00:38:57,719 --> 00:39:02,080 Speaker 1: where we talked about the idea of friction generating the heat. 662 00:39:02,120 --> 00:39:08,200 Speaker 1: That's not exactly true. What's happening is pressure there. When 663 00:39:08,200 --> 00:39:11,799 Speaker 1: the orator comes in at the into the atmosphere, it's 664 00:39:11,840 --> 00:39:16,560 Speaker 1: compressing the air below it, and that compression is what's 665 00:39:16,600 --> 00:39:19,920 Speaker 1: generating that heat. So you may have heard that the 666 00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:23,120 Speaker 1: friction is what causes the heat. Of everyone's heard it. 667 00:39:23,160 --> 00:39:27,720 Speaker 1: I mean the Smithsonian reports it as friction. It's not friction. 668 00:39:27,760 --> 00:39:30,120 Speaker 1: It's actually compression that's generating the heat. Now, there is 669 00:39:30,160 --> 00:39:34,000 Speaker 1: friction playing a role. It is not that there's no friction, 670 00:39:34,040 --> 00:39:36,439 Speaker 1: because if there were no friction, then the shuttle would 671 00:39:36,680 --> 00:39:40,640 Speaker 1: just slide through the atmosphere like it was nothing. Uh, 672 00:39:40,680 --> 00:39:45,000 Speaker 1: it's not, you know, not a non factor. It's just 673 00:39:45,080 --> 00:39:48,880 Speaker 1: that the major contributor to heat is the compression of 674 00:39:48,920 --> 00:39:52,680 Speaker 1: the atmosphere as the shuttle re enters the atmosphere, so 675 00:39:52,719 --> 00:39:57,120 Speaker 1: then um, it's it starts to come into the atmosphere. 676 00:39:57,160 --> 00:40:01,120 Speaker 1: It's generating tons of heat through this compression again literally tons. 677 00:40:01,320 --> 00:40:03,480 Speaker 1: I always get mail whenever I use the word tons 678 00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:08,640 Speaker 1: to just say a lot um and it tries to distribute, 679 00:40:09,000 --> 00:40:11,799 Speaker 1: it doesn't try that. There's heat distribution methods that are 680 00:40:11,800 --> 00:40:16,160 Speaker 1: mostly used through things like the reinforced carbon carbon which 681 00:40:16,200 --> 00:40:18,720 Speaker 1: is r c C, which is on the wing surfaces, 682 00:40:18,719 --> 00:40:22,440 Speaker 1: the underside of the shuttle. UM, there's some high temperature 683 00:40:22,760 --> 00:40:26,680 Speaker 1: insulation tiles on the uppard forward fuselage and around the windows, 684 00:40:27,200 --> 00:40:29,399 Speaker 1: things like that. That's what's used to absorb that heat 685 00:40:29,840 --> 00:40:35,760 Speaker 1: UM once it encounters once it's re entered the our atmosphere. 686 00:40:36,360 --> 00:40:38,319 Speaker 1: Now is the time where we talk about the the 687 00:40:38,360 --> 00:40:42,480 Speaker 1: whole flying element here. So the shuttle has um we 688 00:40:42,600 --> 00:40:46,520 Speaker 1: swept back delta wings. That's the name of the design 689 00:40:46,800 --> 00:40:50,560 Speaker 1: for the shuttles wings, and it can generate generate a 690 00:40:50,560 --> 00:40:54,520 Speaker 1: lot of lift with a small surface area of wingspace 691 00:40:54,560 --> 00:41:00,000 Speaker 1: because of that design. So it's essentially flying under comput 692 00:41:00,120 --> 00:41:03,760 Speaker 1: to control. At this point, the astronauts are not guiding 693 00:41:03,920 --> 00:41:07,920 Speaker 1: the shuttle, the orbiter as it's coming in at at 694 00:41:08,000 --> 00:41:12,440 Speaker 1: this moment, and it starts to have to make these 695 00:41:12,600 --> 00:41:17,040 Speaker 1: long S shaped flight patterns, And the reason for that 696 00:41:17,160 --> 00:41:22,200 Speaker 1: is to continually decelerate the the orbiter. You know, you 697 00:41:22,280 --> 00:41:24,640 Speaker 1: have to slow it down. You can't just come in 698 00:41:24,680 --> 00:41:27,680 Speaker 1: for a landing straight away or else. You you know, 699 00:41:27,800 --> 00:41:30,239 Speaker 1: you need a much further You have to go a 700 00:41:30,320 --> 00:41:32,239 Speaker 1: much further distance in order to do it. So the 701 00:41:32,520 --> 00:41:35,000 Speaker 1: S shape kind of helps the shuttle slow down. So 702 00:41:35,000 --> 00:41:41,080 Speaker 1: it's banking back and forth and um around though about 703 00:41:41,120 --> 00:41:44,680 Speaker 1: a forty miles away from the landing site. Uh, you've 704 00:41:44,719 --> 00:41:49,120 Speaker 1: got the radio beacon from the runway, which is called 705 00:41:49,160 --> 00:41:52,319 Speaker 1: the tactical Air navigation system that gets picked up by 706 00:41:52,360 --> 00:41:57,040 Speaker 1: the shuttle. And about twenty five miles out from the 707 00:41:57,040 --> 00:42:01,319 Speaker 1: the landing site, that's when the computers handover control to 708 00:42:01,400 --> 00:42:05,480 Speaker 1: the shuttles commander. So at that point the shuttle does 709 00:42:05,560 --> 00:42:09,200 Speaker 1: come under human control, and the commander actually flies the 710 00:42:09,200 --> 00:42:14,480 Speaker 1: shuttle down and has to make a long curved entry 711 00:42:14,640 --> 00:42:19,200 Speaker 1: toward the landing strip and sets down the shuttle. Now, 712 00:42:19,320 --> 00:42:20,920 Speaker 1: this whole time when the shuttle is coming down, it's 713 00:42:20,920 --> 00:42:23,680 Speaker 1: coming down in a much steeper approach than what you 714 00:42:23,719 --> 00:42:28,480 Speaker 1: would experience on your typical commercial air flight. So uh yeah, 715 00:42:28,520 --> 00:42:30,799 Speaker 1: this would really freak me out if I were on 716 00:42:30,840 --> 00:42:34,080 Speaker 1: a on a normal flight and and arrived at a 717 00:42:34,080 --> 00:42:38,040 Speaker 1: at this kind of steep grade. But at that point 718 00:42:38,360 --> 00:42:42,640 Speaker 1: the the orbiter, once it's around two thousand feet above 719 00:42:42,680 --> 00:42:46,000 Speaker 1: the ground, that's when the commander will lift the nose 720 00:42:46,360 --> 00:42:49,880 Speaker 1: to slow the rate of descent, and uh, the pilot 721 00:42:50,000 --> 00:42:53,440 Speaker 1: will deploy the landing gear and that's when the orbiter 722 00:42:53,520 --> 00:42:57,279 Speaker 1: touches down. The they throw on the brakes, the vertical 723 00:42:57,360 --> 00:43:01,160 Speaker 1: tail opens up, parachutes deployed, and best all helps too 724 00:43:01,280 --> 00:43:05,720 Speaker 1: slow and eventually stop the orbiter. Uh. At that point, 725 00:43:05,800 --> 00:43:08,360 Speaker 1: you still have to wait a while. You can't have 726 00:43:08,440 --> 00:43:10,439 Speaker 1: people just run up to the orbiter at that point. 727 00:43:10,480 --> 00:43:13,440 Speaker 1: For one thing, it's still quite warm. Yeah. Yeah, you know. 728 00:43:13,520 --> 00:43:16,600 Speaker 1: Actually I wanted to clarify because I had always been 729 00:43:16,640 --> 00:43:19,360 Speaker 1: told again this is sort of a misnomer about the 730 00:43:19,680 --> 00:43:23,359 Speaker 1: foam tiles. They're not really made of foam. I wanted 731 00:43:23,400 --> 00:43:25,520 Speaker 1: to do a little bit of clarification that they're actually 732 00:43:25,560 --> 00:43:29,319 Speaker 1: made of a silica fiber, basically sand mixed with some 733 00:43:29,360 --> 00:43:33,040 Speaker 1: ceramic um and you know, there is some air in there, 734 00:43:33,040 --> 00:43:36,160 Speaker 1: which is why I think, uh, people describe it as 735 00:43:36,200 --> 00:43:38,799 Speaker 1: being foam. Their their pockets of air based on the 736 00:43:38,840 --> 00:43:42,240 Speaker 1: way they're made, but they're not It's not actually foam 737 00:43:42,320 --> 00:43:45,160 Speaker 1: like you would see, uh you know, a styrofoam or 738 00:43:45,200 --> 00:43:47,759 Speaker 1: some kind of plastic foam. So just to clear that 739 00:43:47,840 --> 00:43:50,200 Speaker 1: up before anybody writes in, I do know the difference 740 00:43:50,200 --> 00:43:52,799 Speaker 1: in that. But they're actually a couple different kinds. But 741 00:43:52,840 --> 00:43:55,920 Speaker 1: they do store heat and uh you know they I 742 00:43:55,960 --> 00:43:58,880 Speaker 1: mean you can anytime you've put something down on a 743 00:43:58,880 --> 00:44:02,160 Speaker 1: ceramic tile, like you know, the hot plate. When you 744 00:44:02,200 --> 00:44:04,759 Speaker 1: have one of those tiled tables and you lift it up, 745 00:44:04,800 --> 00:44:07,840 Speaker 1: you know that the the uh tiles are still holding 746 00:44:07,840 --> 00:44:09,360 Speaker 1: heat in. And that's what's going on with the shuttle. 747 00:44:09,400 --> 00:44:11,759 Speaker 1: You can't just uh you know, wheel it up to 748 00:44:11,800 --> 00:44:14,480 Speaker 1: the gate. Besides, usually when I get in, there's not 749 00:44:14,560 --> 00:44:16,839 Speaker 1: a gate ready and you have to sit there. Yeah, 750 00:44:16,880 --> 00:44:21,400 Speaker 1: and there's also some you know, the whole the fuels 751 00:44:21,400 --> 00:44:23,920 Speaker 1: that that the shell burns also can generate some pretty 752 00:44:24,040 --> 00:44:29,040 Speaker 1: nasty gases that need to redistribute. Chris is giving me 753 00:44:29,080 --> 00:44:31,400 Speaker 1: a funny look because he's he's thinking, I'm going to 754 00:44:31,480 --> 00:44:35,360 Speaker 1: make a a fart joke. I am not. Um No, 755 00:44:35,719 --> 00:44:39,400 Speaker 1: there are noxious gases that are generated by the burning 756 00:44:39,400 --> 00:44:42,279 Speaker 1: of this fuel. Stop laughing a little two year old 757 00:44:42,600 --> 00:44:45,400 Speaker 1: and then the uh, but you have to give it 758 00:44:45,480 --> 00:44:49,200 Speaker 1: time for those two to dissipate, and also for the 759 00:44:49,280 --> 00:44:51,839 Speaker 1: shuttle to cool down the orbiter to cool down. Um. 760 00:44:51,960 --> 00:44:55,600 Speaker 1: Once that happens, it takes probably about twenty to thirty minutes, 761 00:44:55,960 --> 00:44:58,640 Speaker 1: they'll start powering down the systems and then that's when 762 00:44:58,680 --> 00:45:02,759 Speaker 1: the crew will exit the shuttle. To great acclaim. Yes, 763 00:45:03,040 --> 00:45:06,960 Speaker 1: and so that's kind of a beginning to end. Look 764 00:45:07,080 --> 00:45:11,120 Speaker 1: at the basic overview of a Space Shuttle mission. Now, 765 00:45:11,120 --> 00:45:13,640 Speaker 1: there are there are so many more elements we could 766 00:45:13,680 --> 00:45:15,680 Speaker 1: go into. I mean, this is this episode is are 767 00:45:15,680 --> 00:45:18,239 Speaker 1: a gone forty five minutes and we barely touched on 768 00:45:19,400 --> 00:45:22,160 Speaker 1: on on even half of what we could have talked about. 769 00:45:22,480 --> 00:45:24,560 Speaker 1: In fact, we probably could have done an entire episode 770 00:45:24,600 --> 00:45:28,080 Speaker 1: just about a launch, but we wanted to give you 771 00:45:28,320 --> 00:45:32,480 Speaker 1: more of an overview of the Space Shuttle itself if 772 00:45:32,520 --> 00:45:34,960 Speaker 1: you want to learn more, Like I said, the how 773 00:45:35,000 --> 00:45:41,480 Speaker 1: Stuff Works article is fantastic, but also NASA has more 774 00:45:41,520 --> 00:45:44,520 Speaker 1: I'm not going to use tons again, lots of resources. 775 00:45:45,120 --> 00:45:47,880 Speaker 1: There's a lot of information about the Space Shuttle on 776 00:45:47,920 --> 00:45:51,760 Speaker 1: their site. Uh yeah, there there there are some interesting facts, 777 00:45:51,960 --> 00:45:54,880 Speaker 1: and I mean just as in factoids and little things 778 00:45:54,880 --> 00:45:58,080 Speaker 1: that are just interesting to people who are curious. Also 779 00:45:58,280 --> 00:46:02,520 Speaker 1: some extremely technical documents too, So it's no matter how 780 00:46:02,560 --> 00:46:06,880 Speaker 1: interested you are, assuming you're interested somewhat, there will be something. 781 00:46:07,360 --> 00:46:09,600 Speaker 1: Just a couple of notes. UM. The launch date is 782 00:46:09,640 --> 00:46:13,160 Speaker 1: planned for July eight, two thousand eleven UM for Space 783 00:46:13,160 --> 00:46:15,759 Speaker 1: Shuttle Atlantis on STS one thirty five, which is the 784 00:46:15,840 --> 00:46:18,520 Speaker 1: last plan space Shuttle mission. They are supposed to be 785 00:46:18,640 --> 00:46:21,920 Speaker 1: launching at eleven twenty six am Eastern daylight time as 786 00:46:21,920 --> 00:46:24,920 Speaker 1: at the time of recording this UH from Kennedy Space 787 00:46:24,920 --> 00:46:28,120 Speaker 1: Center Pad thirty nine A. They're scheduled to land on 788 00:46:28,200 --> 00:46:32,040 Speaker 1: July twenty at seven oh six am Eastern daylight time 789 00:46:32,560 --> 00:46:36,520 Speaker 1: UM at Kennedy Space Center UM, and their primary payload 790 00:46:36,640 --> 00:46:40,719 Speaker 1: is UH the raphael OH Multipurpose Logistics Module whatever that 791 00:46:40,880 --> 00:46:46,080 Speaker 1: is UM. So UH, godspeed to the Shuttle costronauts on 792 00:46:46,120 --> 00:46:48,919 Speaker 1: this final mission. There may be very sad to see 793 00:46:48,960 --> 00:46:51,920 Speaker 1: the program end, but I'll be something else. I'll be 794 00:46:51,960 --> 00:46:56,680 Speaker 1: watching the launch live, I'm sure, UM always on the computer. 795 00:46:57,200 --> 00:47:00,239 Speaker 1: I actually had a chance to maybe get a stand 796 00:47:00,280 --> 00:47:03,080 Speaker 1: by position for the tweet up, but sadly I am 797 00:47:03,080 --> 00:47:04,920 Speaker 1: not able to take advantage of it because I used 798 00:47:04,960 --> 00:47:07,920 Speaker 1: up all my vacation recently. Well, hopefully Megan and some 799 00:47:08,000 --> 00:47:09,560 Speaker 1: of the others who are going to the tweet up 800 00:47:09,560 --> 00:47:12,000 Speaker 1: will keep us up to date on what's going on. Certainly, 801 00:47:12,000 --> 00:47:15,279 Speaker 1: I sure hope so. Well. Enjoy that. That's gonna wrap 802 00:47:15,360 --> 00:47:18,160 Speaker 1: up this discussion of the Space Shuttle, and we will 803 00:47:18,200 --> 00:47:21,280 Speaker 1: be tackling other space related topics in the near future. 804 00:47:21,880 --> 00:47:24,120 Speaker 1: Actually for Chris and I will be tackling it in 805 00:47:24,160 --> 00:47:28,120 Speaker 1: about thirty seconds, but you'll be hearing it later on. Anyway, 806 00:47:28,200 --> 00:47:31,240 Speaker 1: we're gonna talk about more elements about the space program. 807 00:47:31,239 --> 00:47:33,440 Speaker 1: If you have anything specific you would like us to 808 00:47:33,480 --> 00:47:36,800 Speaker 1: talk about, whether it's the Space program or anything else, 809 00:47:36,920 --> 00:47:39,120 Speaker 1: let us know. You can let us know on Facebook 810 00:47:39,160 --> 00:47:42,480 Speaker 1: and Twitter are handled. There is text stuff h s 811 00:47:42,719 --> 00:47:45,560 Speaker 1: W or you can send us an email. That address 812 00:47:45,680 --> 00:47:48,520 Speaker 1: is tech stuff at how stuff Works dot com and 813 00:47:48,600 --> 00:47:50,959 Speaker 1: Chris and I will talk to you again really soon. 814 00:47:53,440 --> 00:47:56,040 Speaker 1: Be sure to check out our new video podcast, Stuff 815 00:47:56,080 --> 00:47:59,120 Speaker 1: from the Future. Join how Stuffwork staff as we explore 816 00:47:59,160 --> 00:48:03,799 Speaker 1: the most promising and perplexing possibilities as tomorrow. The house 817 00:48:03,840 --> 00:48:07,560 Speaker 1: efforks iPhone app has arrived. Download it today. On iTunes, 818 00:48:12,080 --> 00:48:14,680 Speaker 1: brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve camera. 819 00:48:14,960 --> 00:48:16,120 Speaker 1: It's ready, are you