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Flying the Shuttle - Launch: Difference between revisions
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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. | 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. | ||
At around 150.000 ft altitude, the SRBs separate. They're still burning for a while, but they won't generate any thrust. While they seem to fall back, they actually continue to rise - just the shuttle accelerates away from them at a faster pace. | At around 150.000 ft altitude, the SRBs separate. They're still burning for a while, but they won't generate any thrust. While they seem to fall back, they actually continue to rise - just the shuttle accelerates away from them at a faster pace. | ||
[[File:Shuttle SRBsep03.jpg|600px|SRB separation]][[File:Shuttle SRBsep04.jpg|600px|SRB separation]] | |||
With the SRBs gone and most of the fuel still in the tank, thrust is down from abut 2.5 g to less than 1 g - which means that the stack no longer gains vertical velocity. Nevertheless, there's still a tremendous vertical velocity left, so the shuttle will continue to rise until this is depleted. | With the SRBs gone and most of the fuel still in the tank, thrust is down from abut 2.5 g to less than 1 g - which means that the stack no longer gains vertical velocity. Nevertheless, there's still a tremendous vertical velocity left, so the shuttle will continue to rise until this is depleted. | ||