Chapter 1 Study Guide

Question 1

What are advantages to the space shuttle?

Answer 1

It is a reusable spacecraft that can carry large satellites to and from orbit.

Question 2

What are the nine sections/elements of the space shuttle orbiter?

Answer 2

Forward fuselage Forward RCS (Reaction Control System) Mid fuselage Payload Bay Doors Aft Fuselage Vertical Tail 2 OMSs (Orbital Maneuvering Systems) 2 RCSs (Reaction Control Systems) Wing

Question 3

What was the year of the first space shuttle?

Answer 3

1979

Question 4

What was the name of the first space shuttle?

Answer 4

Columbia

Question 5

Name some other space shuttles than Columbia.

Answer 5

Discovery, Atlantis, Challenger

Question 6

How long is a typical shuttle mission?

Answer 6

Seven to eight days

Question 7

What is needed to lift the shuttle?

Answer 7

SRBs (Solid Rocket Boosters) SSMEs (Space Shuttle Main Engines) ET (External Tank) OMSs (Orbital Maneuvering Systems)

Question 8

What percent force/thrust is needed to lift the space shuttle off the launch pad?

Answer 8

71%

Question 9

What are the key components of the SRBs?

Answer 9

Solid rocket motor Solid propellant fuel Jointed structure Synthetic rubber O ring Flight instruments Recovery system parachutes Explosive charges for separation Thrust control systems Self-destruct mechanism

Question 10

Why are the SRBs the last to ignite?

Answer 10

They cannot be shut down

Question 11

How many main engines does the orbital have?

Answer 11

3

Question 12

What kind of fuel do the engines burn?

Answer 12

Liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen

Question 13

How much thrust can each engine generate?

Answer 13

Between 375,000 and 470,000 lbs. of thrust

Question 14

What controls the direction of exhaust?

Answer 14

Gimbals

Question 15

What do gimbals control in addition to the direction of exhaust?

Answer 15

Forward direction of the rocket

Question 16

Where is the fuel for the main engines stored?

Answer 16

ET (External tank)

Question 17

What is the ET made of?

Answer 17

Aluminum

Question 18

The ET has two separate tanks inside; what is the purpose of each tank?

Answer 18

To hold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen fuel

Question 19

What happened to Columbia in 2003?

Answer 19

A chunk of the polyisocyanurate chipped off during ascent and damaged the left wing and its heat protection plates causing it to burn up on re-entry.

Question 20

What is the purpose of the OMS?

Answer 20

Change position from 1 orbit to another and slow shuttle

Question 21

What do the OMS engines burn?

Answer 21

Monomethyl hydrazine fuel (CH₃NHNH₂) Nitrogen tetraoxidizer (N₂O₄)

Question 22

What gas helps pressurize the fuel and the oxidizer?

Answer 22

Helium gas

Question 23

In each fuel line, there are two spring-loaded solenoid valves that close the line. What operates these valves?

Answer 23

Pressurized nitrogen gas

Question 24

How are unwanted accidents/explosions prevented with any remaining fuel?

Answer 24

Pressurized nitrogen gas flushes the system

Question 25

How many pounds of thrust can each OMS engine produce?

Answer 25

6,000 lbs. of thrust

Question 26

What is the acceleration rate attributed by the OMS engines?

Answer 26

2 ft/sec²

Question 27

How many times can the engines start and stop?

Answer 27

1,000 times

Question 28

How many hours of burn time do the engines have?

Answer 28

15 hours

Question 29

How much does a fully-fueled shuttle weigh on the launch pad?

Answer 29

4.5 million pounds

Question 30

What happens at T-31s?

Answer 30

Onboard computers take over launch sequence

Question 31

What happens at T-6.6s?

Answer 31

Shuttle's main engines ignite one at a time (.12 seconds apart)

Question 32

What happens at T-3s?

Answer 32

Shuttle's main engines are in lift-off position

Question 33

What happens at T-0s?

Answer 33

SRBs ignite and the shuttle lifts off the launchpad

Question 34

What happens at T+20s?

Answer 34

Shuttle rolls right (180° roll, 78° pitch)

Question 35

What happens at T+60s?

Answer 35

Shuttle's engines are at maximum power

Question 36

What happens at T+2 min?

Answer 36

SRBs separate from the orbiter and fuel tank

Question 37

At what altitude do the SRBs separate from the orbiter and fuel tank?

Answer 37

28 miles

Question 38

As the main engines continue firing, the SRBs will deploy; where will they land?

Answer 38

In the ocean 140 miles off the coast of Florida

Question 39

How are the SRBs recovered?

Answer 39

They are towed back by a boat

Question 40

What happens at T+7.7 min?

Answer 40

Main engines throttled down to keep acceleration below 3g

Question 41

What happens at T+8.5 min?

Answer 41

Main engines shut down

Question 42

What happens at T+9 min?

Answer 42

ET separates from orbiter (ET burns up on re-entry)

Question 43

What happens at T+10.5 min?

Answer 43

OMS engines fire to place shuttle in low orbit

Question 44

What happens at T+45 min?

Answer 44

OMS fire again to place shuttle in higher circular orbit

Question 45

What is the distance of the higher circular orbit?

Answer 45

250 miles

Question 46

Why is the shuttle kept below 3g's?

Answer 46

To ensure that it dosn't break apart

Question 47

How long can astronauts maintain life in the orbiter in space?

Answer 47

14 days

Question 48

Who is in charge of changing the orbiter door direction (with resect to Earth)?

Answer 48

The shuttle commander

Question 49

List the orbiter parts.

Answer 49

Crew compartment Forward fuselage Forward RCS Movable airlock Mid fuselage Cargo bay doors RMA (remote manipulator arm) Aft fuselage OMS/RCS pods (2)

Question 50

Where do the astronauts live?

Answer 50

Crew compartment

Question 51

Which section of the orbiter contains life support equipment (such as fuel cells and gas tanks for the crew compartment)?

Answer 51

Forward fuselage

Question 52

What does the forward RCS contain?

Answer 52

Forward rocket jets

Question 53

What is the function of the forward rocket jets?

Answer 53

Turning the orbiter in various directions

Question 54

What is the movable airlock used for?

Answer 54

Space walks