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Student Astronaut Challenge 2018 > Chapter 1 Study Guide > Flashcards

Chapter 1 Study Guide Flashcards

1
Q

What are advantages to the space shuttle?

A

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

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2
Q

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

A

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

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3
Q

What was the year of the first space shuttle?

A

1979

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4
Q

What was the name of the first space shuttle?

A

Columbia

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5
Q

Name some other space shuttles than Columbia.

A

Discovery, Atlantis, Challenger

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6
Q

How long is a typical shuttle mission?

A

Seven to eight days

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7
Q

What is needed to lift the shuttle?

A

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

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8
Q

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

A

71%

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9
Q

What are the key components of the SRBs?

A

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

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10
Q

Why are the SRBs the last to ignite?

A

They cannot be shut down

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11
Q

How many main engines does the orbital have?

A

3

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12
Q

What kind of fuel do the engines burn?

A

Liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen

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13
Q

How much thrust can each engine generate?

A

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

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14
Q

What controls the direction of exhaust?

A

Gimbals

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15
Q

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

A

Forward direction of the rocket

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16
Q

Where is the fuel for the main engines stored?

A

ET (External tank)

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17
Q

What is the ET made of?

A

Aluminum

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18
Q

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

A

To hold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen fuel

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19
Q

What happened to Columbia in 2003?

A

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.

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20
Q

What is the purpose of the OMS?

A

Change position from 1 orbit to another and slow shuttle

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21
Q

What do the OMS engines burn?

A

Monomethyl hydrazine fuel (CH3NHNH2) Nitrogen tetraoxidizer (N2O4)

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22
Q

What gas helps pressurize the fuel and the oxidizer?

A

Helium gas

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23
Q

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

A

Pressurized nitrogen gas

24
Q

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

A

Pressurized nitrogen gas flushes the system

25
Q

How many pounds of thrust can each OMS engine produce?

A

6,000 lbs. of thrust

26
Q

What is the acceleration rate attributed by the OMS engines?

A

2 ft/sec2

27
Q

How many times can the engines start and stop?

A

1,000 times

28
Q

How many hours of burn time do the engines have?

A

15 hours

29
Q

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

A

4.5 million pounds

30
Q

What happens at T-31s?

A

Onboard computers take over launch sequence

31
Q

What happens at T-6.6s?

A

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

32
Q

What happens at T-3s?

A

Shuttle’s main engines are in lift-off position

33
Q

What happens at T-0s?

A

SRBs ignite and the shuttle lifts off the launchpad

34
Q

What happens at T+20s?

A

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

35
Q

What happens at T+60s?

A

Shuttle’s engines are at maximum power

36
Q

What happens at T+2 min?

A

SRBs separate from the orbiter and fuel tank

37
Q

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

A

28 miles

38
Q

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

A

In the ocean 140 miles off the coast of Florida

39
Q

How are the SRBs recovered?

A

They are towed back by a boat

40
Q

What happens at T+7.7 min?

A

Main engines throttled down to keep acceleration below 3g

41
Q

What happens at T+8.5 min?

A

Main engines shut down

42
Q

What happens at T+9 min?

A

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

43
Q

What happens at T+10.5 min?

A

OMS engines fire to place shuttle in low orbit

44
Q

What happens at T+45 min?

A

OMS fire again to place shuttle in higher circular orbit

45
Q

What is the distance of the higher circular orbit?

A

250 miles

46
Q

Why is the shuttle kept below 3g’s?

A

To ensure that it dosn’t break apart

47
Q

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

A

14 days

48
Q

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

A

The shuttle commander

49
Q

List the orbiter parts.

A

Crew compartment

Forward fuselage

Forward RCS

Movable airlock

Mid fuselage

Cargo bay doors

RMA (remote manipulator arm)

Aft fuselage

OMS/RCS pods (2)

50
Q

Where do the astronauts live?

A

Crew compartment

51
Q

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

A

Forward fuselage

52
Q

What does the forward RCS contain?

A

Forward rocket jets

53
Q

What is the function of the forward rocket jets?

A

Turning the orbiter in various directions

54
Q

What is the movable airlock used for?

A

Space walks

55
Q
A

Student Astronaut Challenge 2018 (9 decks)

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