Space Shuttle Main Engines

[thewizardofrhythm]

But will it blend?

[TheWwweee]

@thewizardofrhythm no it will no blend!!!

[kokfah]

@thewizardofrhythm just after i commented comewhere about these "but will it blend?" comments, i see it again right after. comments about "chuck norris" and "but will it blend?" just wont stop appearing. please people, grow up.

[thewizardofrhythm]

@kokfah Alternatively you could acquire a well rounded sense of humour, rather than this odd - "lots of people say it, therefore it isn't funny", now that is childish.

[kokfah]

@thewizardofrhythm i am not this comment seriously from a small children

[thewizardofrhythm]

@kokfah I'm sorry, I'm not sure that made sense. Did you mean "This comment is obviously from a small child"?

[green66vw]

that sucker is like a rubber band.there is just so much that can go wrong,right?kinda gives you an idea of just how thorough nasa is.how many successful missions?

[yourjudgeandjury]

A video with no audio. Makes it a complete waste of time.

[Crossbowshootr]

Damn, that would suck if you were a squirrel under that thing.

[puncheex]

The engine is fired at -6.6 seconds, the other two 1/4 second apart. They have until t-3 seconds to each climb to 90% of rated power, or the launch is aborted before the SRB's are fired. The entire orbiter stack bends in response to the thrust, but settles back by t-0. The entire sequence from t-35 seconds on is controlled by the computers in the orbiter

[csapilot1]

Pilot controlled-ignition sequence and fuel into the engine deserts, or is driven off the ramp? Also controls the engine power and the SRB?

[neostriker32]

nice vid, too bad no sound

[400exNick]

I like how when the engines ignite it pushes the whole stack up a few feet. Thats some power!

[gullygully69]

Great slow mo. What amazes me is the way the engines seem to rock around relative to the orbiter - i.e. around 0:19 just before the vid cuts over to the bluer looking shots.

[sgabriel]

Yeah, it's amazing! The engines are actually gimballed away from each other so that they don't bang into each other on ignition.

[barthoedemaker]

the sparks are for ingiton, after that there's no way BACK

[kooldog98]

they can cut off the main engines, its only after the boosters are ignited that theres no way back.

[RJY4356]

NO the sparks do not ignite the engines and there IS a way back. The sparks are flares that are fired from T- 10 seconds to t- zero and burn off hydrogen gas under the engines. The engines can be automatically shut off at any time. HOWEVER once the Solid Rocket Boosters ignite- there is no turning back. The engines can be shut off anytime and have been on 6 ocassions.

[BrassAxe]

If I remember, it happened on STS-51F when Story Musgrave forgot his wallet.

[MattExzy]

Gimbaling rocks.

[SineCalvin9]

thinking the same thing, hahahahha... as soon as the engines are at full thrust, the gimbal actuators lock the engines in place, awesome!

[SubaruB4RSK]

Yeah I never knew that until 2 years ago.. I noticed every time the engines started they would lock so they are all uniform and closer together.

[mousepd]

Looks like one of the smaller engines wasn't lit.You can see one the same size on the other side is lit up with a blue flame.

[UdallIn72]

As far as I know (and I'm not a technical expert), the smaller nozzles are part of the Orbital Maneuvering System, and are not used during ascent.

[SineCalvin9]

Correct, smaller motors surrounding the main engines are used for what you wrote (orbital maneuvers/post ascent maneuvers) and orbit removal burns.

[SubaruB4RSK]

Yes you are correct

[El135o]

Hmm, I've been told that they are now firing the OMS during the last part of APU burn to achieve HST or ISS orbit.

[joshatkins94]

Great video, too bad the sound isn't with this!

[whotookmeethed]

i don't understand what all the fireworks is before they start?

[WGST475]

Those are sparks sent out to ignite the engines

[gwailogavin]

They don't ignite the engines, there are internal spark plugs for that. The sparks but excess gas (hydrogen?) out of the air that can explode during take off and damage the shuttle.

[mousepd]

Is that what they call a "hard start"? Where unburned fuel explodes to quickly?

Rocket Scientist definition of exploding rocket: "spontaneous disassembly"

[rbarrett58]

Those are the igniters that actually light the fire in the STS main engines.

[MusicalFan1701]

No, they ignite gaseous hydrogen in the air in a controlled fashion to prevent explosion. The SSME ingiters are inside the engine.

[cainam979]

You don't need ignitors. Oxygen and Hydrogen work very good together for a little fire :-)

[TMan61662]

Each engine has a pair of sparkplugs burried way up inside where the fuel (hydrogen) and oxidizer (liquid oxygen) are injected into the combusion chamber.

[antimatterXXXIII]

The igniters are there to burn off excess mixed O2 and H2 vapor. That's the dull red flame you see right before actual ignition.

[pilot7893]

Just the power of those things...

[mucosta]

Just love how they start !...It's fuckin beautiful !

[donofdeaths]

awsome, nice video

[URaSV]

wonderful

[chanjcw]

nice!