Space Shuttle Info

[MAJA]

WAVINWAYNE, you sure are strong, holding that piece up for us in that one pic.........Seriously, what aluminum is that, 6061 T-6?

Yes, I too, am glad the shuttle is getting back online. Hopefully we wont become complacent and take the dangers of space travel lightly. I may not be using the right words here, but what I am trying to convey is how the first trips are highly followed, but after so many successful launches and flights, they become routine and not highly followed. Complacent and lightly applies to the media and general public, and not the fine people in our space program.

 

[wavinwayne]

maja,
yes, 6061-t6 is the mat'l. the top piece weighed 96 lbs. it was sitting on a table when the guy in the pic was propping it up.

 

[MAJA]

quote:

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Originally posted by wavinwayne:
..........it was sitting on a table when the guy in the pic was propping it up........

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Your supposed to say, "yes I was holding it up for the camera, because I then had to carry it across the parking lot to load it in the truck.....

 

[wavinwayne]

quote:

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Originally posted by MAJA:
Your supposed to say, "yes I was holding it up for the camera, because I then had to carry it across the parking lot to load it in the truck.....

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That's what I meant.

 

[srivett]

Can I have dibs on your job when you start doing oil changes for a living? Looks like fun.

Cheers, Steve

 

[tom slick]

here is a little info on the space shuttles "turbopumps". as you read the specs remember these are just the pumps that feed the engines.

this is from P&Ws website


Under contract with NASA, Pratt & Whitney provides and services three pairs of high-pressure turbopumps for the Space Shuttle’s Main Engines (SSME) as key components of the upgraded Block II engine design on each of the orbiters. The small but powerful turbopumps use 76,000 horsepower to deliver liquid hydrogen and 26,800 horsepower to deliver liquid oxygen to the shuttle engine’s main combustion chamber for ignition.

Pratt & Whitney’s turbopumps were derived from the company’s extensive experience in gas turbine engine development and feature fewer welds, a stronger integral shaft/disk and more robust bearings than their predecessors. When put into service, they provided NASA with a major improvement in durability, reliability and operational life. They also reduced maintenance, turnaround time and operating costs, as overhaul is required after an astounding 10 missions.

The oxidizer turbopump was certified in March 1995 and performed its first mission in July 1995 (STS-70). The fuel turbopump gained certification in May 2000, and in July 2001 a single fuel turbopump flew successfully on STS-104. In April 2002, Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-110) was the first orbiter to fly with all three fuel turbopumps, marking the first time the complete Pratt & Whitney power suite was flown.

Engine Characteristics (Fuel Turbopump)

Propellant: Liquid hydrogen
Speed: 36,200 rpm
Discharge pressure (max): 6,450 psi
Flow: 164 lb/sec (17,600 gpm)
Shaft horsepower: 76,000 hp
Turbine inlet temperature: 2,000º R
Service life: 60 missions
Design life: 240 missions

Engine Characteristics (Oxidizer Turbopump)

Propellant: Liquid oxygen
Speed: 23,700 rpm
Discharge pressure (max): 7,500 psi
Flow: 1,180 lb/sec (7,680 gpm)
Shaft horsepower: 26,800 hp
Turbine inlet temperature: 1,550ºR
Service life: 60 missions

 

[MolaKule]

quote:

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Space Shuttle Discovery rolls to launch pad

By Susan Wells

Space Shuttle Discovery, atop its Mobile Launcher Platform, slowly rolled out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., Wednesday at just after 2 p.m. Eastern time. It was beginning a 4.2-mile (6.8-kilometer) journey to launch pad 39B that would take about 10 hours.

The rollout was one of the last major milestones before Discovery's launch on mission STS-114, scheduled for a May 15 to June 3 time frame.

"It has been more than two years since an orbiter has made the trip from the VAB to the pad, and this is something to celebrate," said Steve Oswald, Boeing Space Shuttle vice president and program manager.

"As we work through our respective tasks in the weeks before launch, remember that the Boeing human space flight team is greatly contributing to ensuring that the shuttle flies again safely," Oswald continued, "and that the [International Space] Station is completed so that we can meet our commitments to taxpayers and to our international partners."

The shuttle comprises the orbiter, External Tank and twin Solid Rocket Boosters. The Mobile Launcher Platform is moved by a Crawler Transporter underneath. The Crawler is 20 feet high, 131 feet long and 114 feet wide. It moves on eight tracks, each containing 57 shoes, or cleats, weighing one ton each.

The rollout was delayed for about two hours after a crack was found in the fuel tank's insulation. NASA concluded the crack, which was near a low-temperature area, was minor and did not need repair.

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[wavinwayne]

Last year, I designed & built a mold to apply insulating foam to the space shuttle's main engine's fuel pump turbo housing (test units only). It's not classified, so here are some of the pics.
These pieces were all machined from a solid block of aluminum. That turbo was huge & the engineers said it would pump all the water out of an olympic sized swimming pool in a matter of minutes. Enjoy the pics.

[ April 07, 2005, 01:01 PM: Message edited by: wavinwayne ]

 

[Don Stefanik]

I for one will be glad to see the Shuttle fly again.
We need to keep moving ahead with the space program.

 

[55Test]

"The rollout was delayed for about two hours after a crack was found in the fuel tank's insulation. NASA concluded the crack, which was near a low-temperature area, was minor and did not need repair"

I don't like how that sounds..

 

[wavinwayne]

quote:

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Originally posted by 55:
"The rollout was delayed for about two hours after a crack was found in the fuel tank's insulation. NASA concluded the crack, which was near a low-temperature area, was minor and did not need repair"

I don't like how that sounds..

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Neither do I.

 

[wavinwayne]

quote:

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Originally posted by srivett:
Can I have dibs on your job when you start doing oil changes for a living? Looks like fun.

Cheers, Steve

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That was the hardest design job I have ever worked on, hands down. I lost sleep on that one. As it turned out, it had to go back to the machine shop for some modifications. Per my design, when it was built, it was exactly to print specs & the customer needed it to be a little more "loose".

 

[MAJA]

One thing that is disturbing to me is the building that the shuttle was being prepared in. Have you seen the picture of it?

Heres a link, with the pic at the gallery:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/04/08/space.shuttle.crew.ap/index.html

There appears to be "tiles" missing off of the side of the building. Have they had a storm there recently? That pic disturbs me, with the shuttle getting ready to launch......

 

[Rick in PA]

That's one fine piece of machining.

Yeah, the turbo pump specs are mind boggling. When you look at the pressures and flow rates...incredible.

No wonder those thing gave them such fits in the beginning. (remember that?)

 

[Scooby]

They were hit with a MAJOR hurricane last fall.

 

[tom slick]

quote:

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Originally posted by Scooby:
They were hit with a MAJOR hurricane last fall.

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wasn't it 3 hurricanes?
I have relatives in coco beach which is 30 mins from there. I visited them right after the last hurricane. that area was pretty messed up.

I guess they figure if they don't lauch the building it should burn up on re-entry due to missing tiles

 

[MolaKule]

quote:

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$28 million boost to Lockheed
NASA contract funds final phase of bid for shuttle's successor

Denver Rocky Mountain News 07/12/05
author: Roger Follion
(Copyright 2005)


NASA awarded Lockheed Martin in Jefferson County $28 million to put the finishing touches on a proposal to build a spacecraft to replace the space shuttle.

The company, as a result, said Monday it expects to double the number of people working here on the project to about 70.

Lockheed is competing against a Northrop Grumman-Boeing team to land the multibillion-dollar contract to design and construct the "crew exploration vehicle" that will fly to the moon and Mars.

A winner is expected to be picked by the end of March 2006.

Both Lockheed and the Northrop-Boeing team were awaiting word from NASA about funding and additional guidelines for the final stretch of the high- stakes competition.

The Northrop-Boeing team was expected to receive an amount similar to the $28 million Lockheed award. A Northrop spokesman wasn't available to comment.

As of late Monday, NASA had not issued an expected news release announcing the contracts.

About three dozen people at Lockheed's Waterton Canyon facilities have been working on the CEV project. With Monday's contract award, Lockheed expects to move quickly to double that number.

"We'll be doing some hiring from the outside. But primarily we'll be redeploying (people) from within," said Larry Price, Lockheed's deputy manager for the CEV program.

In total, the company and the other members of its corporate team will have up to 120 people working on winning the CEV award.

The spacecraft is expected to be used to service the international space station as well as fly astronauts to the moon and beyond.

The Lockheed and Northrop-Boeing teams have until the end of the year to finalize their proposals for the CEV, NASA's first new manned space vehicle in a quarter century.

NASA recently moved up its timetable for awarding the contract by about two years. The space agency has said it wants to get the new spacecraft flying in time for the shuttle's planned retirement in 2010.

NASA opted to skip a 2008 flight demonstration involving the contractors' prototype vehicles.

NASA chief Michael Griffin recently said scrapping the competition would save at least $1 billion.

Lockheed's Price said NASA may be downsizing the CEV. The spacecraft had been expected to transport up to six astronauts, but NASA's latest plans call for the vehicle to carry four to six crew members.

A price tag hasn't been attached to the CEV project.

But it is expected to total in the billions of dollars and could produce hundreds of new jobs at Lockheed's local operations here - if the company wins.

Lockheed's Waterton Canyon facilities are overseeing the Bethesda, Md.-based company's CEV effort.

The Lockheed CEV team includes Orbital Science, EADS SPACE Transportation, United Space Alliance, Hamilton Sundstrand and Honeywell.

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[wavinwayne]

I, like most of you all, will be watching the shuttle launch with great interest. Just knowing that I had a tiny, tiny, extra-minute, part in sending that bad boy back into space is a source of great pride for me.