NASA T.V.

[ntrprnr 0]

Quote

BTW remember that Mars Rover thing you showed me at the vixen boogie? I saw it in the IMAX here... it was awesome to have watched it before most people....

Glad I could be of assistance. I still have it on my laptop. That's SUCH a cool video.

_______________
"Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?"
"Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

[lisamariewillbe 1]

Its more amazing on the IMAX , its still playing in Austin

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[Andy_Copland 0]

I have to throw this into the mix, poor Scoop. I recieved this on MSN. What makes it funny is you gotta remember we are in England

"This is fruitless, but im gonna look at the sky. You never know!"

I just have the mental image of him looking into the bloody sky

1338

People aint made of nothin' but water and shit.

Until morale improves, the beatings will continue.

[Hooknswoop 19]

Quote

no you cant jump the shuttle... youd die....

I used to train the astronauts to jump from the shuttle. No one really believed it would work, but they all trained to do it and wear parachutes.

Derek

[lisamariewillbe 1]

Well I assume they are trained for it because it would be better then just giving up but isnt it still the popular belief that they would not survive

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[Scoop 0]

I meant look at the wonder of the sky... not for the shuttle. Only a dumbass would do that

[Andy_Copland 0]

Im nearly crying with laughter!

1338

People aint made of nothin' but water and shit.

Until morale improves, the beatings will continue.

[QuickDraw 0]

Quote

I used to train the astronauts to jump from the shuttle. No one really believed it would work, but they all trained to do it and wear parachutes.

Nice.
Were they trained in pressure suits ? and isn't it a 100'000ft maximum for emergency bail-out ?

-- Hope you don't die. --

I'm fucking winning

[Hooknswoop 19]

Quote

Well I assume they are trained for it because it would be better then just giving up but isnt it still the popular belief that they would not survive

Right, no one really believed they could get away with it. If they knew they had a problem that would prevent landing, but wouldn't be problem until they weree very low, they might pull it off. But even if they had know about the wing leading edge damage while in orbit, they still couldn't have gotten out safely.

It was nice to see the shuttle fly again.
Derek

[Hooknswoop 19]

Here is a pic of what they wear during launch. I think they wouls have to be relatively low and slow to actually survive a bail-out.

Derek

[lisamariewillbe 1]

How many jumps did they do to prepare? Were they on similar canopies that we use or was it rounds?

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[Hooknswoop 19]

No live jumps. First they practiced hooking onto the rollers that they would slide down the pole with and jump through the door into the water. Then we suspended them from the overhead crane, let them close their visor, turn on their O2 and inflate their waterr wings, and dropped them into the water. Then we would put them under a round canopy of the same type they would actually jump, that was spread out on top of the water. They would get themselves out from under it and then climb into their rafts and spray each other with their raft pumps Bail-out training was a blast. They were using a seat belt as the quick release to drop them into the water. I built a 3-ring release harness that they still use today.

Derek

[lisamariewillbe 1]

I want to try that

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[airtwardo 7]

ORBITER FLIGHT CREW ESCAPE SYSTEMS

IN-FLIGHT CREW ESCAPE SYSTEM
The in-flight crew escape system is provided for use only when the orbiter would be in controlled gliding flight and unable to reach a runway. This condition would normally lead to ditching. The crew escape system provides the flight crew with an alternative to water ditching or to landing on terrain other than a landing site. The probability of the flight crew surviving a ditching is very slim.
The hardware changes required to the orbiters enable the flight crew to equalize the pressurized crew compartment with the outside pressure via the depressurization valve opened by pyrotechnics in the crew compartment aft bulkhead that would be manually activated by a flight crew member in the middeck of the crew compartment; pyrotechnically jettison the crew ingress/egress side hatch manually in the middeck of the crew compartment; and bail out from the middeck through the ingress/egress side hatch opening after manually deploying the escape pole through, outside and down from the side hatch opening. One by one, each flight crew member attaches a lanyard hook assembly, which surrounds the deployed escape pole, to his or her parachute harness and egresses through the side hatch opening. Attached to the escape pole, the crew member slides down the pole and off the end. The escape pole provides each crew member with a trajectory that takes the crew member below the orbiter's left wing.

Changes were also made in the software of the orbiter's general-purpose computers. The software changes were required for the primary avionics software system and the backup flight system for transatlantic-landing and glide-return-to-launch-site abort modes. The changes provide the orbiter with an automatic-mode input by flight crew members through keyboards at the commander's and/or pilot's panel C3, which provides the orbiter with an automatic stable flight for crew bailout. This software change, which is required to allow the flight crew commander's departure, automatically controls the orbiter's velocity and angle of attack to the desired bailout conditions.

The crew would make the escape decision at an altitude of approximately 60,000 feet and would immediately make an input to the flight control system software autopilot mode.

When the orbiter descends to an altitude of approximately 30,000 feet, its airspeed must be decreased to approximately 200 knots (230 mph). At approximately 25,000 feet, a crew member in the middeck (referred to as the jump master and seated in the forward left seat in the middeck) raises a cover on the left side of the crew compartment middeck at floor level and pulls the T-handle, which activates the pyrotechnics for the depressurization valve at the crew compartment X o 576 aft bulkhead. This equalizes the crew compartment cabin and outside pressure before the side hatch is jettisoned.

At approximately 25,000 feet, the software for the automatic autopilot mode changes the orbiter's angle of attack to approximately 15 degrees. This angle of attack must remain nearly constant for approximately three minutes until the orbiter reaches an altitude of approximately 2,000 feet.

At approximately 25,000 feet, the jump master jettisons the side hatch by pulling the hatch jettison T-handle next to the depressurization T-handle. When the T-handle is pulled, pyrotechnics separate the hatch assembly by severing the side hatch hinge, and three pyrotechnic thrusters jettison the tunnel/hatch from the orbiter at a velocity of approximately 50 feet per second.

The jump master pulls the pip pin on the escape pole and pulls the ratchet handle down, which permits the two telescoping sections of the escape pole to be deployed through the hatch opening by spring tension.

A magazine assembly located near the side hatch contains a lanyard assembly for each flight crew member. Each lanyard assembly consists of a hook attached to a Kevlar strap that surrounds the escape pole. Five roller bearings on each strap surround the pole and permit the lanyard to roll freely down the pole. Each flight crew member positions himself or herself at the hatch opening and attaches himself or herself to the escape pole via the lanyard hook assembly and jumps out the hatch opening.

Each lanyard assembly incorporates an energy absorber rated at 1,000 pounds. The Kevlar strap consists of two sections of permanent Nomex thread stitching and a section of breakaway Kevlar thread stitching. When the crew member exits the side hatch on the escape pole, the breakaway Kevlar thread stitching can break away, providing the crew member with an energy absorber. The crew member slides down the escape pole and off the end into a free-fall. The escape pole extends downward 9.8 feet from the side hatch and provides the crew member with a trajectory that will carry him or her beneath the orbiter's left wing.

It would take approximately 90 seconds for a maximum crew of eight to bail out. After the first crew member bails out from the middeck, the remaining crew members follow at approximately 12-second intervals until all are out by approximately 10,000 feet altitude.

A handhold was added in the middeck next to the side hatch to permit the crew members to position themselves through the side hatch opening for bailout.

The escape pole is constructed of aluminum and steel. The arched housing for the pole is 126.75 inches long and is attached to the middeck ceiling above the airlock hatch and at the 2 o'clock position at the side hatch for deployment during launch and entry. The escape pole telescopes from the middeck housing through the side hatch in two sections. The primary extension is 73 inches long, and the end extension is 32 inches long. The diameter of the housing is 3.5 inches. The two telescoping sections are slightly smaller in diameter. The escape pole weighs approximately 241 pounds-248 pounds with attachments.

On orbit, the escape pole's primary stowage position requires unpinning the escape pole at the starboard and port attachments, rotating the pole so it is flat against the middeck ceiling and strapping it to the ceiling. An alternate on-orbit stowage approach also requires unpinning the escape pole at the starboard and port attachments, rotating it so it is flat against the middeck ceiling and strapping it to the ceiling.

The side hatch water coolant lines for side hatch thermal conditioning were modified to accommodate the installation of the side hatch pyrotechnic separation system.

The flight crew members' seats were also modified to accommodate the seat/crew altitude protection system suit for each crew member.

The pyrotechnically operated crew compartment depressurization valve consists of two flapper valves with debris screens on the crew compartment side and payload bay side that open to depressurize the crew compartment and close when the pressure equalizes.

It is noted that the hatch jettison features could be used in a landing emergency.

The crew member's altitude protection suit includes an emergency oxygen system, pilot and drogue parachutes that are operated automatically and have manual backup, a main parachute that is operated automatically and has manual backup, a seawater activation release system, flotation devices, a life raft and survival equipment. The crew altitude protection suit and its associated equipment weigh approximately 70 pounds.

The side hatch jettison thruster contractor is OEA, Denver, Colo. The pyrotechnics contractor for the hatch tunnel, hinge and the energy transfer system lines is Explosive Technology, Fairfield, Calif. The escape pole is government-furnished equipment that is supplied by NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, as is the crew altitude protection suit.



EMERGENCY EGRESS SLIDE
The emergency egress slide provides the orbiter flight crew members with a rapid and safe emergency egress through the orbiter middeck ingress/egress side hatch after a normal opening of the side hatch or after jettisoning of the side hatch at the nominal end-of-mission landing site or at a remote or emergency landing site.
The emergency egress slide replaces the emergency egress side hatch bar, which required the flight crew members to drop approximately 10.5 feet to the ground. This drop could cause injury to the flight crew members and prevent an injured flight crew member from moving to a safe distance from the orbiter.

The emergency egress slide will support return- to- launch- site, transatlantic-landing, abort-once-around and normal end-of-mission landings.

The system will be activated manually by the flight crew rotating the slide from the middeck through the egress side hatch opening onto the side hatch if the hatch has not been jettisoned or through the egress side hatch opening if the hatch has been jettisoned. The flight crew pulls a lanyard to inflate the slide with a self-contained air bottle supply. The slide allows the safe egress of the flight crew members to the ground within 60 seconds after the side hatch is fully opened or jettisoned; accommodates the egress of the flight crew members wearing the launch and entry crew altitude protection system; accommodates the egress of incapacitated crew members; withstands and remains functional in the egress environment for a minimum of six minutes after deployment; and can be released from the side hatch to permit fire truck access.

The slide is installed inside the middeck below the side hatch where it will not inhibit ingress/egress when the system is not required and not interfere with normal on-orbit operations.

The egress slide contractor is Inflatable Systems Inc., a division of OEA, Denver, Colo.



SECONDARY EMERGENCY EGRESS
The left-hand flight deck overhead window provides the flight crew with a secondary emergency egress route. The left overhead window consists of three panes of glass, an inner pane attached to the crew compartment and a center and outer pane attached to the upper forward fuselage.
When the secondary emergency egress path is utilized, pulling the T handle located forward of the flight deck center console (between the commander and pilot) activates the overhead window jettison system. When initiated, the center and outer panes are jettisoned as a unit, upward and aft. A time delay in the pyrotechnic firing circuit delays the initiation of the jettisoning of the inner pane 0.3 of a second after the center and outer panes are jettisoned. Upon the initiation of the jettisoning of the inner window pane, it rotates downward and aft into the crew compartment aft flight deck on hinges located at the aft portion of the window frame. A capture device attenuates the opening rate and holds the window in position.

The overhead window jettison system consists primarily of expanding tube assemblies, mild detonating fuses, frangible bolts and associated initiators.

The left overhead window jettison system can be initiated from the outside of the orbiter on the right side of the forward fuselage by ground personnel.

Egress steps are mounted at the aft flight deck station (left side) to assist the flight crew up through the window.

Emergency ground descent devices are stowed on the overhead aft flight deck adjacent to the left overhead window. One device is provided for each flight crew member. The emergency ground descent device enables flight crew members to lower themselves to the ground over the side of the orbiter.



SIDE HATCH JETTISON
The middeck ingress/egress side hatch was modified to provide the capability of pyrotechnically jettisoning the side hatch for emergency egress on the ground. In addition, a crew compartment pressure equalization valve provided at the crew compartment aft bulkhead, X o 576, is also pyrotechnically activated to equalize cabin/outside pressure before the jettisoning of the side hatch.
A panel on the left side of the middeck of the crew compartment contains two T-handles. One T-handle controls the initiation of the pyrotechnic pressure equalization valves, which equalize the cabin pressure with outside pressure.

The other T-handle in the same panel in the middeck jettisons the side hatch pyrotechnically. When this T-handle is activated, pyrotechnics sever the hinges of the side hatch and three pyrotechnic tunnel/hatch thrusters are initiated, which jettisons the side hatch from the orbiter.

The side hatch jettison thruster contractor is OEA, Denver, Colo. The pyrotechnics contractor for the hatch tunnel, hinges and the energy transfer system lines is Explosive Technology, Fairfield, Calif.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[MF42 0]

I once read an essay written by Penn Gillette in which he made the point that NASA has perfected comedic timing.

Penn got invited to some VIP observation site that's much closer to the launch than the general public has access to. He described seeing the brilliant light of ignition, watching the shuttle gracefully rise into the sky...all in silence, just crickets chirping. Penn had just enough time to think, "That's strange. I thought there would be some noise..." then the shockwave hit with bone shaking force and kept getting louder, an unimaginable rumble, every bass player's wet dream, and he's screaming his little monkey brain out but can't hear himself scream because the shuttle is so stinkin' loud!

Seven seconds for the noise to get from the launch site to the observation area. Perfect comedic timing.

Matt

[misskriss 0]

We tried to go and watch on Saturday and spent three hours in traffic. Ended up heading to New Smyrna after the launch was cancelled and eating at jb's. Wish we would have gone today.