NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Space Shuttle abort modes

A Space Shuttle abort is an emergency procedure due to equipment failure on NASA's Space Shuttle, most commonly during ascent. A main engine failure is a typical abort scenario. There are fewer abort options during reentry and descent. For example, the Columbia disaster happened during reentry, and there were no alternatives in that portion of flight. This article is about the American space agency. ... NASAs Space Shuttle, officially called Space Transportation System (STS), is the United States governments current manned launch vehicle. ... Space Shuttle Main Engine cluster The Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs) are the three main engines on the Space Shuttle orbiter. ... The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occurred on February 1, 2003, when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas during re-entry into the Earths atmosphere, shortly before concluding its 28th mission, STS-107. ... Atmospheric reentry is the process by which vehicles that are outside the atmosphere of a planet can enter that atmosphere and reach the planetary surface intact. ...

Later in descent certain failures are survivable, although not usually classified as an abort. For example, a flight control system problem or multiple auxiliary power unit failure could make reaching a landing site impossible, thus requiring astronauts to bail out over the ocean. A flight control system consists of the flight control surfaces, the respective cockpit controls, connecting linkage, and necessary operating mechanisms to control aircraft in flight. ... The APU exhaust at the tail end of an Airbus A380 An auxiliary power unit (APU) is a device on a vehicle whose purpose is to provide energy for functions other than propulsion. ... Astronaut Bruce McCandless II using a manned maneuvering unit outside the U.S. Space Shuttle Challenger in 1984. ... Animated map exhibiting the worlds oceanic waters. ...

1 Ascent abort modes
2 Post-Challenger abort enhancements
3 Ejection escape systems
4 Shuttle aborts in fiction
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

Ascent abort modes

There are five abort modes available during ascent, in addition to pad (RSLS) aborts. These are classified as intact aborts and contingency aborts.^[1] The choice of abort mode depends on how urgent the situation is, and what emergency landing site can be reached. The abort modes cover a wide range of potential problems, but the most commonly expected problem is Space Shuttle main engine (SSME) failure, creating inability to either cross the Atlantic or achieve orbit, depending on timing and number of failed engines. Other possible non-engine failures possibly necessitating an abort include multiple auxiliary power unit (APU) failure, cabin leak, and external tank leak (ullage leak). Space Shuttle Main Engine cluster The Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs) are the three main engines on the Space Shuttle orbiter. ... The APU exhaust at the tail end of an Airbus A380 An auxiliary power unit (APU) is a device on a vehicle whose purpose is to provide energy for functions other than propulsion. ...

Redundant Set Launch Sequencer (RSLS) Abort

The SSMEs can be shut down on the pad as long as the Solid Rocket Boosters have not ignited (i.e., from T - 6.6 seconds to T - 0 seconds). This is called a "Redundant Set Launch Sequencer Abort", and has happened five times, on STS-41-D, STS-51-F, STS-51, STS-55, and STS-68. It has always happened under computer (not human) control, caused by computers sensing a problem with the SSMEs after starting but before the SRBs ignite. The SRBs cannot be turned off once ignited, and afterwards the shuttle is committed to take off. No abort options exist from the ignition of the SRBs until their burnout 123 seconds later. The Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) is the rocket that provides 83% of liftoff thrust for the Space Shuttle. ... STS-41-D was a Space Shuttle mission by NASA using the Space Shuttle Discovery. ... STS-51-F (Spacelab 2) was the nineteenth flight of a Space Shuttle and the eighth flight of Challenger. ... // Frank L. Culbertson, Jr. ... // Crew Commander: Steven R. Nagel (4) Pilot: Terence T. Henricks (2) Mission Specialist 1: Jerry L. Ross (4) Mission Specialist 2: Charles J. Precourt (1) Mission Specialist 3: Dr. Bernard A. Harris Jr. ... STS-68 is a Space Shuttle program mission. ...

Intact abort modes

There are four intact abort modes, only one of which (ATO) has ever occurred. Intact aborts are designed to provide a safe return of the orbiter to a planned landing site.

Return To Launch Site (RTLS) — the Shuttle continues downrange until the solid rocket boosters are jettisoned. It then pitches around, so the SSMEs are firing roughly against the line of travel. This maneuver occurs in a near vacuum above the appreciable atmosphere and is conceptually no different from the OMS engines firing against the line of travel to de-orbit. The main engines continue burning until downrange velocity is killed and the vehicle is headed back toward the launch site at sufficient velocity to reach a runway. Then the SSMEs are stopped, the external tank is jettisoned, and the orbiter makes a normal gliding landing on the runway at Kennedy Space Center.

Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) — involves landing at a predetermined location in Africa or western Europe (or, for a launch from Vandenberg AFB, Easter Island). Used when velocity, altitude and distance downrange do not allow return to the launch point via RTLS. Also used when a less time-critical failure does not require the faster but possibly more stressful RTLS abort.

Abort Once Around (AOA) — available when the shuttle cannot reach a stable orbit but has sufficient velocity to circle the earth once and land. The time window for using the AOA abort is very short – just a few seconds between the TAL and ATO abort opportunities. Therefore, taking this option would be very rare.

Abort to Orbit (ATO) — available when the intended orbit cannot be reached but a lower stable orbit is possible. This occurred on mission STS-51-F, which continued despite the abort to a lower orbit. A hydrogen fuel leak on STS-93 resulted in a slightly lower orbit than anticipated, but was not an ATO; if the leak had been more severe, it may have necessitated an ATO, RTLS or TAL abort. The moment at which an ATO is possible is referred to as the "press to ATO" moment.

Abort panel on Space Shuttle Challenger. Taken during STS-51-F.

Aborts are usually initiated by the communications call from mission control: "abort xxx", where xxx is the specific abort mode (RTLS, TAL, AOA, ATO). For example, during the STS-51-F mission, flight control in Houston observed an SSME failure and called "Challenger--Houston, Abort ATO. Abort ATO". The spacecraft commander then rotates the cockpit abort mode switch to the ATO position and depresses the abort push button. This initiates the flight control software routines which handle the abort. In the event of lost communications, the spacecraft commander can make the abort decision and take action independently. Downrange is the horizontal distance travelled by a spacecraft, or the spacecrafts horizontal distance from the launch site. ... The Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) is the rocket that provides 83% of liftoff thrust for the Space Shuttle. ... Flight dynamics is the science of air and space vehicle orientation and control in three dimensions. ... Space Shuttle Main Engine block The Space Shuttle orbiter has three main engines. ... An OMS pod detached from a Shuttle for maintenance. ... Downrange is the horizontal distance travelled by a spacecraft, or the spacecrafts horizontal distance from the launch site. ... The Space Shuttle External Tank (ET) on its way to the Vehicle Assembly Building. ... Merritt Island and Kennedy Space Center (shown in white). ... First launch of a Boeing Delta IV Medium+ (4,2) from SLC-6 on June 27, 2006 (Official photo by Thom Baur for Boeing) Space Launch Complex-6 (SLC-6, nicknamed Slick Six) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California was a launch pad and support area designed for the... Mataveri International Airport (IATA airport code: IPC) located on Easter Island, is one of the worlds most remote airports, served only by the Chilean carrier LAN Airlines (formerly LanChile). ... STS-51-F (Spacelab 2) was the nineteenth flight of a Space Shuttle and the eighth flight of Challenger. ... STS-93 marked the 95th launch of the Space Shuttle, the 26th launch of Columbia, and the 21st night launch of a Space Shuttle. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Space Shuttle Challenger (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-099) was NASAs second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, Columbia being the first. ... STS-51-F (Spacelab 2) was the nineteenth flight of a Space Shuttle and the eighth flight of Challenger. ...

A TAL abort would be declared between roughly T+2:30 minutes (liftoff plus 2 minutes, 30 seconds) and Main Engine Cutoff (MECO), about T+8:30 minutes. The Shuttle would then land at a predesignated friendly airstrip in Europe. The three present TAL sites are Istres Air Base in France, Zaragoza Air Base and Morón Air Base, both in Spain. Prior to a Shuttle launch, two of them are selected depending on the flight plan, and staffed with standby personnel in case they are used. The list of TAL sites has changed over time; most recently Ben Guerir Air Base in Morocco was eliminated due to possible attack concerns. Past TAL sites have included Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, Nigeria; Mataveri International Airport, Easter Island (for Vandenberg launches); Rota, Spain; Casablanca, Morocco; and Dakar, Senegal. Istres Air Base (Base aérienne dIstres, Base aérienne 125, BA 125) is a large base of the French Air Force, located near Istres, north of Marseille, in Bouches-du-Rhône, France. ... Zaragoza Air Base is a Spanish Air Force Base in Spain. ... MorÃ³n Air Base is located at 37Â°10â€²N 5Â°36â€²W in southern Spain, approximately 35 miles southeast of the city of Sevilla and 75 miles northeast of Rota Naval Station. ... Ben Guerir Air Base was a United States Air Force base in Morocco, later operated by the Royal Moroccan Air Force, located about 36 miles north of Marrakech. ... Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (IATA: KAN, ICAO: DNKN) is located in Kano, Kano State, Nigeria, and is the main airport serving northern Nigeria. ... Kano is the administrative center of the Kano State and the third largest city in Nigeria, in terms of geographical size, after Ibadan and Lagos. ... Mataveri International Airport (IATA airport code: IPC) located on Easter Island, is one of the worlds most remote airports, served only by the Chilean carrier LAN Airlines (formerly LanChile). ... â€œRapa Nuiâ€ redirects here. ... Rota is a town of approximately 26,000 people in the Andalusia region of Spain, located in Cadiz province, across the Bay of Cadiz from the city of the same name. ... For other uses, see Casablanca (disambiguation). ... (City of Dakar, divided into 19 communes darrondissement) City proper (commune) RÃ©gion Dakar DÃ©partement Dakar Mayor Pape Diop (PDS) (since 2002) Area 82. ...

Emergency landing sites for the Orbiter include

Lajes (Portugal),
Beja (Portugal),
Keflavík (Iceland),
Shannon International Airport (Ireland),
RAF Fairford (United Kingdom),
Köln Bonn Airport (Germany),
Airport Manching near Munich (Germany),
Ankara (Turkey),
Banjul (Gambia),
Iqaluit, Nunavut (Canada),
Riyadh (Saudi Arabia),
Edwards Air Force Base, California (United States),
Diego Garcia (British Indian Ocean Territory),
Gander International Airport, Gander, Newfoundland (Canada),
Montreal/Mirabel International Airport, Mirabel (near Montreal), Quebec (Canada),
Royal Australian Air Force Base Amberley, near Brisbane, Australia
White Sands Missile Range, White Sands, New Mexico (United States)
Orlando International Airport, Orlando, Florida (United States)

In the event of an emergency deorbit that would bring the Orbiter down in an area not within range of a designated emergency landing site, the Orbiter is theoretically capable of landing on any paved runway that is at least 10,000 feet long, which includes the majority of large commercial airports. (In practice, a US military airfield would probably be preferred for reasons of security arrangements and minimizing the disruption of commercial air traffic.) Lajes Air Base Diagram Lajes Field (or Air Base NR4), (IATA: TER, ICAO: LPLA), is a United States Air Force facility located near Lajes on Terceira Island in the Azores, Portugal. ... Location - Country Portugal - Region Alentejo - Subregion Baixo Alentejo - District or A.R. Beja Mayor Francisco Santos - Party CDU Area 1,147. ... KeflavÃk on the Reykjanes peninsula of Iceland KeflavÃk is a town of around 10,200 inhabitants in the Reykjanes region in southwest Iceland (64Â°01â€²N 22Â°34â€²W). ... Shannon Airport (IATA Airport Code; SNN, ICAO Airport Code; EINN) is Irelands main transatlantic airport. ... RAF Fairford is a Royal Air Force station in Gloucestershire, England, near to Fairford. ... Cologne/Bonn Airport, also called Konrad-Adenauer-Flughafen or Flughafen KÃ¶ln-Wahn, is the sixth largest airport for passengers in Germany and second largest for cargo. ... For other uses, see Munich (disambiguation). ... Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the countrys second largest city after Ä°stanbul. ... Location of Banjul in The Gambia Street in Banjul city Banjul (formerly Bathurst) is the capital of The Gambia. ... Coordinates: , Settled 1942 City status April 19, 2001 Government - Type Iqaluit Municipal Council - Mayor Elisapee Sheutiapik Area [1] - City 52. ... Motto: Nunavut Sannginivut (Inuktitut: Nunavut our strength or Our land our strength) Capital Iqaluit Largest city Iqaluit Official languages Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun, English, French Government - Commissioner Ann Meekitjuk Hanson - Premier Paul Okalik (Consensus government) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 1 (Nancy Karetak-Lindell) - Senate seats 1 (Willie Adams) Confederation... Riyadh (Arabic: â€Ž ar-RiyÄá¸) is the capital of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, located in Ar Riyad Province in the Najd region. ... Edwards Air Force Base (IATA: EDW, ICAO: KEDW) is a United States Air Force airbase located on the border of Kern County and Los Angeles County, California in the Antelope Valley, 7 miles (11 km) due east of Rosamond. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... Diego Garcia ( ) is an atoll located in the heart of the Indian Ocean, some 1,000 miles (1,600 km) south of Indias southern coast. ... Gander International Airport (IATA: YQX, ICAO: CYQX) is located in Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada and is currently run by the Gander Airport Authority. ... For other uses, see Newfoundland (disambiguation). ... MontrÃ©al-Mirabel International Airport, (or MontrÃ©al International (Mirabel) Airport) (IATA: YMX, ICAO: CYMX) originally called Montreal International Airport and widely known simply as Mirabel, is a large airport located in Mirabel, Quebec, near Montreal and was opened 4 October 1975. ... Nickname: Motto: Concordia Salus (well-being through harmony) Coordinates: , Country Province Founded 1642 Established 1832 Government - Mayor GÃ©rald Tremblay Area [1][2][3] - City 365. ... , Motto: Je me souviens (French: I remember) Capital Quebec City Largest city Montreal Official languages French Government - Lieutenant-Governor Pierre Duchesne - Premier Jean Charest (PLQ) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 75 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area Ranked 2nd - Total 1,542,056 kmÂ² (595... RAAF Base Amberley is a Royal Australian Air Force base that is located 8 km southwest of Ipswich, Queensland and 50 km southwest of Brisbane, Queensland and currently home to No. ... For other uses, see Brisbane (disambiguation). ... White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), formerly known as the White Sands Proving Grounds, is located in Otero County, New Mexico, mostly in the Tularosa Basin, a valley between the Organ Mountains, San Andres Mountains and the Sacramento Mountains of the U.S. state of New Mexico, it includes the northern... White Sands is a census-designated place located in Doña Ana County, New Mexico. ... â€œKMCOâ€ redirects here. ... Nickname: Location in Orange County and the state of Florida. ...

Although a TAL abort has never been necessary, the huge velocity involved means that the total time from liftoff at Kennedy Space Center to landing in Europe would, according to one astronaut, take "less than 20 minutes". Merritt Island and Kennedy Space Center (shown in white). ... Astronaut Bruce McCandless II using a manned maneuvering unit outside the U.S. Space Shuttle Challenger in 1984. ...

There is an order of preference for abort modes. ATO is the preferred abort option whenever possible. TAL is the preferred abort option if the vehicle has not yet reached a speed permitting the ATO option. AOA would only be used in the brief window between TAL and ATO options. RTLS results in the quickest landing of all abort options, but is considered the riskiest abort. Therefore it is selected only in cases where the developing emergency is so time-critical the other aborts aren't feasible, or in cases where the vehicle has insufficient energy to reach the other aborts.

Unlike all previous U.S. manned launch vehicles, the shuttle never flew unmanned test flights. To provide an incremental non-orbital manned test, NASA considered making the first mission an RTLS abort. However STS-1 shuttle commander John Young declined, saying "let's not practice Russian roulette".^[2] John W. Young in 1986 John Watts Young (born September 24, 1930) is a former NASA astronaut who walked on the Moon on Apollo 16, April 21, 1972. ... Russian roulette is a lethal form of gambling in which participants place a single round in a chamber of a revolver and, spinning the cylinder such that the location of the round is unknown, take turns putting the weapon to their temples (heads) and pulling the trigger until the weapon...

Contingency aborts

Contingency aborts are designed to permit flight crew survival following more severe failures when an intact abort is not possible. A contingency abort would generally result in a ditch operation.

Were the Orbiter unable to reach a runway, it could ditch in water, or could land on terrain other than a landing site. It would be unlikely for the flight crew still on board to survive. However, for ascent abort scenarios where controlled gliding flight is achievable, a bailout is possible. For more details, see "Post-Challenger abort enhancements". A Mute Swan performs a water landing Water landing is, in the broadest sense, landing on a body of water. ...

In the two disasters, things went wrong so fast that little could be done. In the case of Challenger, the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters were still burning as they tore free from the rest of the stack, one likely impacting the external tank. The orbiter disintegrated almost instantly from aerodynamic stresses as the stack broke up. The Columbia disaster occurred high in the atmosphere during reentry. Even if the crew had been able to bail out, they would have been killed by the heat generated at hypersonic velocities. The launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission 51L/STS-33, the 25th of the STS (Space Transportation System) program, began at an estimated time of 16:38:00. ... The Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) is the rocket that provides 83% of liftoff thrust for the Space Shuttle. ... The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occurred on February 1, 2003, when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas during re-entry into the Earths atmosphere, shortly before concluding its 28th mission, STS-107. ...

Post-Challenger abort enhancements

Before the Challenger disaster, STS-51-L, very limited ascent abort options existed. Only a single SSME failure was survivable prior to about 350 seconds into the ascent. Two or three failed SSMEs prior to that would mean loss of crew and vehicle (LOCV), since no bailout option existed. Two or three failed SSMEs while the SRBs are firing would have probably overstressed the struts attaching the orbiter to the external tank, causing vehicle breakup. For that reason, a Return To Launch Site (RTLS) abort wasn't possible for two or three failed SSMEs. Studies showed an ocean ditching was not survivable. Furthermore losing a second or third SSME almost anytime during an RTLS abort was a LOCV. The iconic image of Space Shuttle Challengers smoke plume after its breakup 73 seconds after launch. ... The launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission 51L/STS-33, the 25th of the STS (Space Transportation System) program, began at an estimated time of 16:38:00. ... Space Shuttle Main Engine block The Space Shuttle orbiter has three main engines. ... Space Shuttle Main Engine block The Space Shuttle orbiter has three main engines. ...

After STS-51-L, numerous abort enhancements were added. A two-out SSME is now survivable for the crew throughout the ascent, and the vehicle could survive and land for large portions of the ascent. A three-out SSME is survivable for the crew for most of the ascent, although three failed SSMEs before T+90 seconds is questionable. However it's conceivable a three-out SSME just after liftoff might be survivable, since the SRBs provide enough thrust and steering authority to continue the ascent until a bailout or RTLS. The struts attaching the orbiter to the external tank were strengthened to better endure a multiple SSME failure. The launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission 51L/STS-33, the 25th of the STS (Space Transportation System) program, began at an estimated time of 16:38:00. ...

A significant enhancement was bailout capability. This is not ejection as with a fighter plane, but an Inflight Crew Escape System (ICES). The vehicle is put in a stable glide on autopilot, the hatch is blown, and the crew slides out a pole to clear the orbiter's left wing. They would then parachute to earth or the sea. While this may at first appear only usable under rare conditions, in actuality there are many failure modes where reaching an emergency landing site isn't possible yet the vehicle is still intact and under control. Before the Challenger disaster, this almost happened on STS-51-F when a single SSME failed at about T+345 seconds. The orbiter in that case was Challenger. A second SSME almost failed due to a spurious temperature reading, inhibited only by a quick-thinking flight controller. If the second SSME failed within about 20 seconds of the first, there would have been insufficient energy to cross the Atlantic. Without bailout ability the entire crew would have been lost. After the Challenger loss, those types of failures are survivable. To facilitate high altitude bailouts, the crew now wears Advanced Crew Escape Suits during ascent and descent. Before the Challenger disaster, crews for operational missions wore only fabric flight suits. US Air Force F-15 Eagle ejection seat test using a mannequin. ... STS-51-F (Spacelab 2) was the nineteenth flight of a Space Shuttle and the eighth flight of Challenger. ... NASA portrait of Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Lonchakov, wearing an ACES suit. ...

Another post-Challenger enhancement was East Coast Abort Landings (ECAL). High inclination launches (all ISS missions) can now reach an emergency runway on the East Coast of the United States under certain conditions.

An ECAL abort is similar to RTLS, but instead of the Orbiter landing at the Kennedy Space Center, it would attempt to land at another site along the east coast of North America. Various emergency landing sites extend from South Carolina and Bermuda up into Newfoundland, Canada. ECAL is a contingency abort that is less desirable than an intact abort, primarily because there is so little time to choose the landing site and prepare for the Orbiter's arrival. The ECAL emergency sites are not as well equipped to accommodate an Orbiter landing.[1]

Numerous other abort refinements were added, mainly involving improved software for managing vehicle energy in various abort scenarios. These enable a greater chance of reaching an emergency runway for various SSME failure scenarios.

Ejection escape systems

An ejection escape system, sometimes called a launch escape system has been discussed many times for the shuttle. After the Challenger and Columbia losses, great interest was expressed in this. All previous US manned space vehicles had launch escape systems, although none were ever used. Modified Lockheed SR-71 ejection seats were installed on the first four shuttle flights (all two-man missions aboard OV-102), and removed afterward. Ejection seats were not further developed for the shuttle for several reasons: Apollo LES Pad Abort test A Launch Escape System (LES) is a top-mounted rocket connected to the crew module of a crewed spacecraft and used to quickly separate and launch the crew module away from the rest of the rocket in the case of an emergency. ... A trainer version of the USAF SR-71. ... US Air Force F-15 Eagle ejection seat test using a mannequin. ... Space Shuttle Columbia (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-102) was the first spaceworthy space shuttle in NASAs orbital fleet. ...

Very difficult to eject seven crew members when three or four are on the middeck (roughly the center of the forward fuselage), surrounded by substantial vehicle structure
Limited ejection envelope. Ejection seats only work up to about 3,400 mph (2,692 knots) and 130,000 feet (39,624 m). That constitutes a very limited portion of the shuttle's operating envelope, about the first 100 sec of the 8.5 minute powered ascent.
No help during Columbia-type reentry accident. Ejecting during a reentry accident would be fatal due to the high temperatures and wind blast at high Mach speeds

An alternative to ejection seats is an escape crew capsule or cabin escape system where the crew ejects in protective capsules, or the entire cabin is ejected. Such systems have been used on several military aircraft. The B-58 Hustler and XB-70 Valkyrie used capsule ejection. Certain versions of the General Dynamics F-111 and Rockwell B-1 bomber used cabin ejection. The fuselage can be short, and seemingly unaerodynamic, as in this Christen Eagle 2 The fuselage (from the French fuselÃ© spindle-shaped) is an aircrafts main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. ... Atmospheric entry is the transition from the vacuum of space to the atmosphere of any planet or other celestial body. ... Atmospheric entry is the transition from the vacuum of space to the atmosphere of any planet or other celestial body. ... An escape crew capsule allows a pilot (or astronaut) to eject from his or her craft and still be protected at extreme speeds and altitudes which might not be survivable in a simple ejection seat. ... The Convair B-58 Hustler was a American high-speed jet bomber capable of Mach 2 supersonic flight. ... The North American XB-70 Valkyrie was conceived for the Strategic Air Command in the 1950s as a high-altitude bomber that could fly three times the speed of sound (Mach 3). ... The General Dynamics F-111 is a medium-range strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and tactical strike aircraft designed in the 1960s. ... The B-1 Lancer is an American strategic bomber with variable geometry wings. ...

Like ejection seats, capsule ejection for the shuttle would be difficult because no easy way exists to exit the vehicle. Several crewmembers sit in the middeck, surrounded by substantial vehicle structure.

Cabin ejection would work for a much larger portion of the flight envelope than ejection seats, as the crew would be protected from temperature, wind blast, and lack of oxygen or vacuum. In theory an ejection cabin could be designed to withstand reentry, although that would entail additional cost, weight and complexity. Cabin ejection was not pursued for several reasons:

Major modifications required to shuttle, likely taking several years. During much of the period the vehicle would be unavailable.
Cabin ejection systems are heavy, thus incurring a significant payload penalty.
Cabin ejection systems are much more complex than ejection seats. They require devices to cut cables and conduits connecting the cabin and fuselage. The cabin must have aerodynamic stabilization devices to avoid tumbling after ejection. The large cabin weight mandates a very large parachute, with a more complex extraction sequence. Air bags must deploy beneath the cabin to cushion impact or provide flotation. To make on-the-pad ejections feasible, the separation rockets would have to be quite large. In short, many complex things must happen in a specific timed sequence for cabin ejection to be successful, and in a situation where the vehicle might be disintegrating. If the airframe twisted or warped, thus preventing cabin separation, or debris damaged the landing airbags, stabilization, or any other cabin system, the occupants would likely not survive.
Added risk due to many large pyrotechnic devices. Even if not needed, the many explosive devices needed to separate the cabin entail some risk of premature or uncommanded detonation.
Cabin ejection is much more difficult, expensive and risky to retrofit on a vehicle not initially designed for it. If the shuttle was initially designed with a cabin escape system, that might have been more feasible.
Cabin/capsule ejection systems have a spotty success record, likely because of the complexity.

Preparing C-4 explosive This article is concerned solely with chemical explosives. ...

Shuttle aborts in fiction

G. Harry Stine, under his pen name Lee Correy, wrote Shuttle Down, a fictional account of a Space Shuttle TAL to Easter Island which showcased NASA shortcomings in contingency planning and recovery at that time. G. Harry Stine (March 26, 1928 - November 2, 1997) is widely regarded as the father of model rocketry. ... G. Harry Stine (March 26, 1928 - November 2, 1997) is widely regarded as the father of model rocketry. ... Shuttle Down is a book by American author Lee Corey. ... â€œRapa Nuiâ€ redirects here. ...

In Stephen Baxter's novel Titan, a hydrazine leak on the Shuttle Columbia starts a fire during the initial stages of descent, resulting in the loss of both main orbital maneuvering system (OMS) engines and nearly all auxiliary power units - components essential to decelerating the orbiter to landing speed. The fictional scenario highlights problems in Shuttle OMS engineering and its egress option. Stephen Baxter (born in Liverpool, 13 November 1957) is a British hard science fiction author. ... Titan is a 1997 science fiction novel by Stephen Baxter. ... Hydrazine is the chemical compound with formula N2H4. ... Space Shuttle Columbia (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-102) was the first spaceworthy space shuttle in NASAs orbital fleet. ... An OMS pod detached from a Shuttle for maintenance. ... The APU exhaust at the tail end of an Airbus A380 An auxiliary power unit (APU) is a device on a vehicle whose purpose is to provide energy for functions other than propulsion. ...

In the movie Space Camp, a fictional malfunction called a Thermal Curtain Failure causes one of the Solid Rocket Boosters to ignite during a ground test of the SSMEs. Control was forced to ignite the second SRB and launch the Space Shuttle, Atlantis to perform an Abort ATO from the launch pad. Space Camp is a 1986 movie based on a book by Patrick Bailey and Larry B. Williams and inspired by the U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. ... NASA Image of the final solid rocket booster (right) being mated to a Delta II rocket (blue). ... NASAs Space Shuttle, officially called Space Transportation System (STS), is the United States governments current manned launch vehicle. ... Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-104) is one of the fleet of space shuttles belonging to the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). ...

In the movie Space Cowboys, the fictional Space Shuttle Daedalus is experiencing a systems malfunction on landing, so part of the crew utilize the Inflight Crew Escape System (ICES). Space Cowboys is a 2000 film by Clint Eastwood, released by Warner Bros. ...

References

^ Shuttle Abort Modes. Shuttle Reference and Data. NASA. Retrieved on 2006-12-09.
^ Astronauts in Danger. Popular Mechanics (December 2000). Retrieved on 2006-12-09.

This article is about the American space agency. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 343rd day of the year (344th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 343rd day of the year (344th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

volume 1, chapter 9 of the Rogers commission report

Category: Space Shuttle program

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