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Flying the Shuttle - Launch: Difference between revisions
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(Created page with " {{Note|This article refers to the Space Shuttle in the FGAddon repository. }} This mission phase can directly be started using <b>--aircraft=SpaceShuttle-launch</b> on the...") |
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* accelerate to orbital speed outside the atmosphere | * accelerate to orbital speed outside the atmosphere | ||
[[File:Shuttle FG03.jpg|600px|Space Shuttle Launch]] | |||
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[[File:Shuttle FG02.jpg|600px|Space Shuttle Launch]] | [[File:Shuttle FG02.jpg|600px|Space Shuttle Launch]] | ||
Upon ascent, the shuttle is controlled by thrust vectoring of both the SRBs and the SSME. About ten seconds after liftoff while the dynamical pressure is still small, roll the shuttle to the desired launch course, then pull slightly down to a pitch of 80-85 degrees of inverted flight (the journey into orbit is flown with the head hanging down). You should now verify that you are approximately (within 10-20 degrees) on your launch course. Don't worry about details, they can be fixed later. | |||
At about 35 seconds into the flight, dynamical pressure (qbar) will rise rapidly as the stack goes supersonic. This is a dangerous phase of the flight. The stack is very top-heavy (as the heavy oxygen is stored in the tip of the ET and the light hydrogen in the bottom), so once it starts toppling, it won't come back. In addition, aerodynamical forces are very strong. In fact the very reason we do this phase in inverted flight is to reduce the wing loading. At the callout, reduce throttle of the main engines to 65% to minimize the pressure spike. | |||
If you ascent is too flat in this phase, maximum qbar will be violated, or more likely, you'll lose control of the stack beyond the point the thrust vectoring can recover. | |||
About 20 seconds later, max. qbar is over and the stack becomes much more controllable. Reduce pitch to about 60 degrees (still inverted) and keep rising. | |||
[[File:Shuttle launch01.jpg|600px|Launch track of the Space Shuttle]] | [[File:Shuttle launch01.jpg|600px|Launch track of the Space Shuttle]] | ||
Seen from the ground, the smoke trail of the launch shows clearly the point at which the shuttle departs from vertical ascent and reduces pitch. | |||
[[File:Shuttle SRBsep03.jpg|600px|SRB separation]][[File:Shuttle SRBsep04.jpg|600px|SRB separation]] | |||
[[File:Shuttle FG5.jpg|600px|Final stage in the flight to orbit]] | [[File:Shuttle FG5.jpg|600px|Final stage in the flight to orbit]] | ||
== Further reading == | == Further reading == | ||