SuzukiSavage.com - Space Shuttle Main Engine Test

Sonny

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Re: Space Shuttle Main Engine Test
Reply #15 - 08/16/15 at 12:46:45

What a cool job to have.

I used to wonder about the consequences of a main engine failure. If it happened early, when the solids were burning, esp. to the center/top engine, I would think it would be impossible to keep the shuttle on trajectory. Once the solids were gone you could run the bad engine's fuel thru the remaining good ones, move the nozzles to correct and press on.

I remember well that on every launch they had engine failure call-outs for the different abort sites and then for press to orbit.

You know, the shuttle was an incredible human achievement, just for complexity, ingenuity, pure can-do thinking and balls. It was so on the edge that it was facing obsolescence from the get-go, but it kept being improved and it had a hell of a run. It was a glory.

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'87 LS650, purt near stock, Raptor, seat mod. '07 S40, Raptor.

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old_rider

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Re: Space Shuttle Main Engine Test
Reply #16 - 08/16/15 at 21:08:21

I always wondered about a "pressurized water assist", you know.... like the pump up water rockets they used to sell?
Use super high pressure water to assist on the "lift-off" portion of the flight......it would also dampen the noise and keep any "chemical blow off" to a smaller scale.
But can a large enough amount be pressurized? I wanna be on that team! LOL.... Lets see how high we can launch an LS650!
With just water pressure! I mean like, the smaller satellites weigh about the same.

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We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us.

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Dave

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Re: Space Shuttle Main Engine Test
Reply #17 - 08/17/15 at 03:29:01

old_rider wrote on 08/16/15 at 21:08:21:

I always wondered about a "pressurized water assist", you know.... like the pump up water rockets they used to sell?
Use super high pressure water to assist on the "lift-off" portion of the flight......it would also dampen the noise and keep any "chemical blow off" to a smaller scale.
But can a large enough amount be pressurized? I wanna be on that team! LOL.... Lets see how high we can launch an LS650!
With just water pressure! I mean like, the smaller satellites weigh about the same.

I think the problem becomes one of scale. You can pressurize a 2 liter soda bottle filled with water, and get it to launch. The thin plastic bottle can withstand the needed pressure. However when you scale that up 100,000 times for a full size rocket - the pressure vessel that can withstand that high of water pressure becomes overwhelming weight wise.....and you basically have a stationary water tank.

The pressure vessels that are used in the real thing are heavy - but they are holding liquids (hydrogen/oxygen) that produce incredible amounts of energy and can lift their own weight - plus the weight of the rocket.

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