Airfoilsguy From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 15 hours ago) and read 2162 times:
I was watching the shuttle landing this morning and got to wondering. What are all those support vehicles functions. There were sure some odd looking things surrounding the shuttle after it landed. One had a huge propeller on it an was parked in front of the shuttle. I am guessing it was there to cool the shuttle after landing. The IR camera showed the shuttle as white when it was landing. Also some posted photos of these vehicles would be nice.
JetBlueGuy2006 From United States of America, joined Jan 2006, 1613 posts, RR: 2 Reply 1, posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 15 hours ago) and read 2159 times:
I don't know what it is called, but one of the support vehicals is used for the astronauts to disembark from the shuttle and take off their entry suites. It is the one that is the huge white-pod looking thing.
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Thorny From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 2, posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 14 hours ago) and read 2154 times:
The big propeller truck is to disperse any residual toxic gasses that might be lingering around the RCS thrusters and OMS engines.
The truck with the big hoses connecting to the aft end of the Atlantis provides cooling to the Shuttle.
I think another truck provides electricity to the Shuttle, but that might be the same vehicle as the cooling truck.
The Peoplemover was added to the convoy after the Shuttle started bringing home long-duration astronauts from Mir, so that they can be brought out on stretchers instead of climbing down the stairs (most never used the stretcher anyway.)
The rest are standard fire/rescue and security vehicles on standby.
CURLYHEADBOY From Italy, joined Feb 2005, 921 posts, RR: 2 Reply 3, posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 14 hours ago) and read 2143 times:
Quoting Thorny (Reply 2): I think another truck provides electricity to the Shuttle, but that might be the same vehicle as the cooling truck.
That's what I thought.... After today's landing the orbiter was on his own APU, you could see the exhaust coming out from somewhere near the vertical empennage (it displayed on the IR camera), then they radioed they were through the APU shutdown procedure, so they may very well rely upon a ground power unit at a certain point.
If God had wanted men to fly he would have given them more money...
Thorny From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 4, posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 13 hours ago) and read 2128 times:
Quoting CURLYHEADBOY (Reply 3): That's what I thought.... After today's landing the orbiter was on his own APU, you could see the exhaust coming out from somewhere near the vertical empennage (it displayed on the IR camera), then they radioed they were through the APU shutdown procedure, so they may very well rely upon a ground power unit at a certain point.
The APUs provide hydraulic power. Electricity is generated by the Fuel Cells.
JBirdAV8r From United States of America, joined Jun 2001, 4459 posts, RR: 22 Reply 5, posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 9 hours ago) and read 2101 times:
Quoting Thorny (Reply 4): The APUs provide hydraulic power. Electricity is generated by the Fuel Cells.
True. Plus, the Orbiter APUs (and SRB HPU's for that matter) burn an exciting blend of monomethyl hydrazine and N2O4. That's not your grandmother's APU exhaust...
CURLYHEADBOY From Italy, joined Feb 2005, 921 posts, RR: 2 Reply 6, posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 9 hours ago) and read 2095 times:
Quoting Thorny (Reply 4): The APUs provide hydraulic power. Electricity is generated by the Fuel Cells.
Quoting JBirdAV8r (Reply 5): True. Plus, the Orbiter APUs (and SRB HPU's for that matter) burn an exciting blend of monomethyl hydrazine and N2O4. That's not your grandmother's APU exhaust...
Wow, didn't know this, thanks guys
If God had wanted men to fly he would have given them more money...
Thorny From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 7, posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 8 hours ago) and read 2072 times:
Quoting JBirdAV8r (Reply 5): True. Plus, the Orbiter APUs (and SRB HPU's for that matter) burn an exciting blend of monomethyl hydrazine and N2O4. That's not your grandmother's APU exhaust...
The Orbiter APUs use a hydrazine monopropellant, not a mixture with N2O4. I think that's true of the SRB's HPU too.
JBirdAV8r From United States of America, joined Jun 2001, 4459 posts, RR: 22 Reply 8, posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 6 hours ago) and read 2050 times:
Quoting Thorny (Reply 7): The Orbiter APUs use a hydrazine monopropellant, not a mixture with N2O4. I think that's true of the SRB's HPU too.
HPU/APU have quite a bit of commonality.
Simple chemistry...N2O4 with MMH makes an efficient thruster (hypergols), but definitely don't need that in an APU...oops for writing that. I stand corrected.
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