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Space Shuttle: Difference between revisions
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→Automated flight
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=== Automated flight === | === Automated flight === | ||
Automated flight is available for all nominal mission phases except for the final approach and touchdown (for which in reality no AP is available either) as well as all single engine loss intact aborts and all two engine out contingency aborts. | Automated flight is available for all nominal mission phases except for the final approach and touchdown (for which in reality no AP is available either) as well as all single engine loss intact ascent aborts and all two engine out contingency aborts ending in either emergency landing or crew bailout. | ||
Unlike an airplane which is usually in or close to a steady-state equilibrium (level flight at cruise altitude) when under AP control, this is almost never the case for the Shuttle. Thus, the AP requires a context to work properly - whether a current state vector is good or bad depends on what one wants to achieve. Usually this context is a guidance target (i.e. a desired orbit, a landing site, an abort MECO condition,...) and if no such target is provided, the AP will not engage. | Unlike an airplane which is usually in or close to a steady-state equilibrium (level flight at cruise altitude) when under AP control, this is almost never the case for the Shuttle. Thus, the AP requires a context to work properly - whether a current state vector is good or bad depends on what one wants to achieve. Usually this context is a guidance target (i.e. a desired orbit, a landing site, an abort MECO condition,...) and if no such target is provided, the AP will not engage. | ||