What are these membranes at the aft end of the Shuttle that gets torns off during lift off?
$begingroup$
The link to the Space Shuttle launch video
At 1:30 mark in the video, three circular disks get torn away. It happens immediately after the engine ignition begins.
Here is a cropped image of the Discovery after take off. Image source: Wikipedia page for Space Shuttle Discovery. These disks seems universal of all launches.
What are they and why does this happen? What function does this serve?
Adding images from the video for reference:
launch nasa space-shuttle
asked 2 hours ago
karthikeyankarthikeyan
2,0281225
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
The link to the Space Shuttle launch video
At 1:30 mark in the video, three circular disks get torn away. It happens immediately after the engine ignition begins.
Here is a cropped image of the Discovery after take off. Image source: Wikipedia page for Space Shuttle Discovery. These disks seems universal of all launches.
What are they and why does this happen? What function does this serve?
Adding images from the video for reference:
launch nasa space-shuttle
asked 2 hours ago
karthikeyankarthikeyan
2,0281225
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
The link to the Space Shuttle launch video
At 1:30 mark in the video, three circular disks get torn away. It happens immediately after the engine ignition begins.
Here is a cropped image of the Discovery after take off. Image source: Wikipedia page for Space Shuttle Discovery. These disks seems universal of all launches.
What are they and why does this happen? What function does this serve?
Adding images from the video for reference:
launch nasa space-shuttle
asked 2 hours ago
karthikeyankarthikeyan
2,0281225
$endgroup$
The link to the Space Shuttle launch video
At 1:30 mark in the video, three circular disks get torn away. It happens immediately after the engine ignition begins.
Here is a cropped image of the Discovery after take off. Image source: Wikipedia page for Space Shuttle Discovery. These disks seems universal of all launches.
What are they and why does this happen? What function does this serve?
Adding images from the video for reference:
launch nasa space-shuttle
launch nasa space-shuttle
asked 2 hours ago
karthikeyankarthikeyan
2,0281225
asked 2 hours ago
karthikeyankarthikeyan
2,0281225
edited 2 hours ago
karthikeyan
asked 2 hours ago
karthikeyankarthikeyan
2,0281225
asked 2 hours ago
karthikeyankarthikeyan
2,0281225
asked 2 hours ago
karthikeyankarthikeyan
2,0281225
2,0281225
add a comment |
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
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oldest
votes
$begingroup$
Those are covers on the RCS thrusters. They're on all the other thrusters too, to prevent rain etc. from getting into the thrusters.
For most of the program, the covers were butcher paper. Towards the end, we switched to using Tyvek.
The covers are designed to get blown off during launch. On the OMS pods, it's mostly done by the shockwave of the igniting engines. The RCS covers on the nose of the Shuttle get blown off by the air rushing over the shuttle after liftoff.
Here is a cutaway drawing of the OMS pod. The shaded areas are part of the RCS.
answered 2 hours ago
HobbesHobbes
88.6k2251400
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
Woah! I didnt expect such a comprehensive question in quora! Thanks for the link. And I did not know they were covering the RCS thrusters!
$endgroup$
– karthikeyan
2 hours ago
$begingroup$
@rainer Does each circular hole indicate a single RCS or there are 3 holes in total for the one RCS? Also, thanks for the picture.
$endgroup$
– karthikeyan
1 hour ago
$begingroup$
Do these protective membranes tear themselves or is there a mechanism to tear them?
$endgroup$
– karthikeyan
1 hour ago
$begingroup$
Each hole is one RCS thruster. In the cutaway I can see 3 thruster pointing up, 3 pointing to the side and 3 pointing aft.
$endgroup$
– Hobbes
1 hour ago
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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active
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1 Answer
1
active
oldest
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active
oldest
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active
oldest
votes
$begingroup$
Those are covers on the RCS thrusters. They're on all the other thrusters too, to prevent rain etc. from getting into the thrusters.
For most of the program, the covers were butcher paper. Towards the end, we switched to using Tyvek.
The covers are designed to get blown off during launch. On the OMS pods, it's mostly done by the shockwave of the igniting engines. The RCS covers on the nose of the Shuttle get blown off by the air rushing over the shuttle after liftoff.
Here is a cutaway drawing of the OMS pod. The shaded areas are part of the RCS.
answered 2 hours ago
HobbesHobbes
88.6k2251400
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
Woah! I didnt expect such a comprehensive question in quora! Thanks for the link. And I did not know they were covering the RCS thrusters!
$endgroup$
– karthikeyan
2 hours ago
$begingroup$
@rainer Does each circular hole indicate a single RCS or there are 3 holes in total for the one RCS? Also, thanks for the picture.
$endgroup$
– karthikeyan
1 hour ago
$begingroup$
Do these protective membranes tear themselves or is there a mechanism to tear them?
$endgroup$
– karthikeyan
1 hour ago
$begingroup$
Each hole is one RCS thruster. In the cutaway I can see 3 thruster pointing up, 3 pointing to the side and 3 pointing aft.
$endgroup$
– Hobbes
1 hour ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Those are covers on the RCS thrusters. They're on all the other thrusters too, to prevent rain etc. from getting into the thrusters.
For most of the program, the covers were butcher paper. Towards the end, we switched to using Tyvek.
The covers are designed to get blown off during launch. On the OMS pods, it's mostly done by the shockwave of the igniting engines. The RCS covers on the nose of the Shuttle get blown off by the air rushing over the shuttle after liftoff.
Here is a cutaway drawing of the OMS pod. The shaded areas are part of the RCS.
answered 2 hours ago
HobbesHobbes
88.6k2251400
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
Woah! I didnt expect such a comprehensive question in quora! Thanks for the link. And I did not know they were covering the RCS thrusters!
$endgroup$
– karthikeyan
2 hours ago
$begingroup$
@rainer Does each circular hole indicate a single RCS or there are 3 holes in total for the one RCS? Also, thanks for the picture.
$endgroup$
– karthikeyan
1 hour ago
$begingroup$
Do these protective membranes tear themselves or is there a mechanism to tear them?
$endgroup$
– karthikeyan
1 hour ago
$begingroup$
Each hole is one RCS thruster. In the cutaway I can see 3 thruster pointing up, 3 pointing to the side and 3 pointing aft.
$endgroup$
– Hobbes
1 hour ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Those are covers on the RCS thrusters. They're on all the other thrusters too, to prevent rain etc. from getting into the thrusters.
For most of the program, the covers were butcher paper. Towards the end, we switched to using Tyvek.
The covers are designed to get blown off during launch. On the OMS pods, it's mostly done by the shockwave of the igniting engines. The RCS covers on the nose of the Shuttle get blown off by the air rushing over the shuttle after liftoff.
Here is a cutaway drawing of the OMS pod. The shaded areas are part of the RCS.
answered 2 hours ago
HobbesHobbes
88.6k2251400
$endgroup$
Those are covers on the RCS thrusters. They're on all the other thrusters too, to prevent rain etc. from getting into the thrusters.
For most of the program, the covers were butcher paper. Towards the end, we switched to using Tyvek.
The covers are designed to get blown off during launch. On the OMS pods, it's mostly done by the shockwave of the igniting engines. The RCS covers on the nose of the Shuttle get blown off by the air rushing over the shuttle after liftoff.
Here is a cutaway drawing of the OMS pod. The shaded areas are part of the RCS.
answered 2 hours ago
HobbesHobbes
88.6k2251400
edited 1 hour ago
answered 2 hours ago
HobbesHobbes
88.6k2251400
answered 2 hours ago
HobbesHobbes
88.6k2251400
answered 2 hours ago
HobbesHobbes
88.6k2251400
88.6k2251400
$begingroup$
Woah! I didnt expect such a comprehensive question in quora! Thanks for the link. And I did not know they were covering the RCS thrusters!
$endgroup$
– karthikeyan
2 hours ago
$begingroup$
@rainer Does each circular hole indicate a single RCS or there are 3 holes in total for the one RCS? Also, thanks for the picture.
$endgroup$
– karthikeyan
1 hour ago
$begingroup$
Do these protective membranes tear themselves or is there a mechanism to tear them?
$endgroup$
– karthikeyan
1 hour ago
$begingroup$
Each hole is one RCS thruster. In the cutaway I can see 3 thruster pointing up, 3 pointing to the side and 3 pointing aft.
$endgroup$
– Hobbes
1 hour ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Woah! I didnt expect such a comprehensive question in quora! Thanks for the link. And I did not know they were covering the RCS thrusters!
$endgroup$
– karthikeyan
2 hours ago
$begingroup$
@rainer Does each circular hole indicate a single RCS or there are 3 holes in total for the one RCS? Also, thanks for the picture.
$endgroup$
– karthikeyan
1 hour ago
$begingroup$
Do these protective membranes tear themselves or is there a mechanism to tear them?
$endgroup$
– karthikeyan
1 hour ago
$begingroup$
Each hole is one RCS thruster. In the cutaway I can see 3 thruster pointing up, 3 pointing to the side and 3 pointing aft.
$endgroup$
– Hobbes
1 hour ago
$begingroup$
Woah! I didnt expect such a comprehensive question in quora! Thanks for the link. And I did not know they were covering the RCS thrusters!
$endgroup$
– karthikeyan
2 hours ago
$begingroup$
Woah! I didnt expect such a comprehensive question in quora! Thanks for the link. And I did not know they were covering the RCS thrusters!
$endgroup$
– karthikeyan
2 hours ago
$begingroup$
@rainer Does each circular hole indicate a single RCS or there are 3 holes in total for the one RCS? Also, thanks for the picture.
$endgroup$
– karthikeyan
1 hour ago
$begingroup$
@rainer Does each circular hole indicate a single RCS or there are 3 holes in total for the one RCS? Also, thanks for the picture.
$endgroup$
– karthikeyan
1 hour ago
$begingroup$
Do these protective membranes tear themselves or is there a mechanism to tear them?
$endgroup$
– karthikeyan
1 hour ago
$begingroup$
Do these protective membranes tear themselves or is there a mechanism to tear them?
$endgroup$
– karthikeyan
1 hour ago
$begingroup$
Each hole is one RCS thruster. In the cutaway I can see 3 thruster pointing up, 3 pointing to the side and 3 pointing aft.
$endgroup$
– Hobbes
1 hour ago
$begingroup$
Each hole is one RCS thruster. In the cutaway I can see 3 thruster pointing up, 3 pointing to the side and 3 pointing aft.
$endgroup$
– Hobbes
1 hour ago
add a comment |
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