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Flying the Shuttle - Launch: Difference between revisions
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You will almost inevitably drop in altitude for a bit from there - that's normal, and it'll recover once the ET gets light when all the fuel is spent and thrust increases. Roll out of inverted flight about 5 minutes into the launch to be realistic (the shuttle makes now communication via the satellite network and no longer directly with the ground). | You will almost inevitably drop in altitude for a bit from there - that's normal, and it'll recover once the ET gets light when all the fuel is spent and thrust increases. Roll out of inverted flight about 5 minutes into the launch to be realistic (the shuttle makes now communication via the satellite network and no longer directly with the ground). | ||
What should not happen is that the trajectory drops below 265.000 ft - the reason is ET heat load. The ET is equipped with an ablator to take care of the worst of friction heat, but if you go too fast too low, the heat shield will fail and the ET will explode. | <b>What should not happen is that the trajectory drops below 265.000 ft - the reason is ET heat load. The ET is equipped with an ablator to take care of the worst of friction heat, but if you go too fast too low, the heat shield will fail and the ET will explode.</b> | ||
At this stage, the thrust vector is not very aligned with the shuttle axis - note how the SSME pointed out of the axis push through the ETs top-heavy CoG: | At this stage, the thrust vector is not very aligned with the shuttle axis - note how the SSME pointed out of the axis push through the ETs top-heavy CoG: | ||