I was wondering what was going on, maneuvering wise, in this situation. Great video! It's incredible to see just what would need to happen in this scenario... It's truly be a really bad day for anyone riding on board if you hear "Two out blue."
@sonichockeyaug They can do something called a FAST SEP, which would jettison the ET and SRBs. In this particular video, they waited until SRB SEP to do the pitch over.
@usnsquirrel The shuttle would need the ET for additional fuel in case of RTLS abort..as the other engines would be pushed to 106% power to give the necessary energy to null their speed and return to the Cape. The ET would be jettisoned either when the shuttle had enough energy to make it back for a landing at the Cape OR if a bailout was necessary. You also had the risk of the ET coming back and striking the shuttle.
@usnsquirrel No. A "FAST SEP" is never done in any of the shuttle abort sequences for the reason I stated below.
The shuttle would need the fuel from the ET in order for the other SSME's to continue firing. In the RTLS, the engines would be needed to null the shuttle's energy and return to the Cape. In a TAL abort, the SSME's would be needed to provide energy to maintain velocity and altitude in order to reach the TAL site.
@usnsquirrel Directly from a shuttle engineer's mouth; "there is a "fast sep" scenario where the orbiter disengages from the ET while the SRB's are still burning. The ability for the orbiter to do this is marginal and some say the orbiter aft attachments (ball joints) would hang up and flip the orbit into the airstream, which would break it up"
...but then did the crew live "Happily Ever After?"
RecklessTornado 1 month ago
I was wondering what was going on, maneuvering wise, in this situation. Great video! It's incredible to see just what would need to happen in this scenario... It's truly be a really bad day for anyone riding on board if you hear "Two out blue."
IanRubin2 3 months ago
I can't even fathom watching this live if it had ever happened.
whalers59 3 months ago
thats scary
YoshiFan501 4 months ago
They called the abort before, but it didn't start till after.
MrApolloTom 5 months ago
I thought aborts could only be done AFTER SRB Sep!
sonichockeyaug 5 months ago
@sonichockeyaug They can do something called a FAST SEP, which would jettison the ET and SRBs. In this particular video, they waited until SRB SEP to do the pitch over.
usnsquirrel 3 months ago
@usnsquirrel The shuttle would need the ET for additional fuel in case of RTLS abort..as the other engines would be pushed to 106% power to give the necessary energy to null their speed and return to the Cape. The ET would be jettisoned either when the shuttle had enough energy to make it back for a landing at the Cape OR if a bailout was necessary. You also had the risk of the ET coming back and striking the shuttle.
ToddLV 3 months ago
@ToddLV I'm aware of that, thanks. FAST SEP is done for TAL. RTLS is an interesting phase of the launch that I've spent years reading about.
usnsquirrel 3 months ago
@usnsquirrel No. A "FAST SEP" is never done in any of the shuttle abort sequences for the reason I stated below.
The shuttle would need the fuel from the ET in order for the other SSME's to continue firing. In the RTLS, the engines would be needed to null the shuttle's energy and return to the Cape. In a TAL abort, the SSME's would be needed to provide energy to maintain velocity and altitude in order to reach the TAL site.
No fuel from ET--no way to power SSME's.
ToddLV 3 months ago
@usnsquirrel Directly from a shuttle engineer's mouth; "there is a "fast sep" scenario where the orbiter disengages from the ET while the SRB's are still burning. The ability for the orbiter to do this is marginal and some say the orbiter aft attachments (ball joints) would hang up and flip the orbit into the airstream, which would break it up"
usnsquirrel 3 months ago
@sonichockeyaug Yes..that is correct..any abort would come after SRB Sep.
ToddLV 3 months ago