How do you practice landing a space shuttle without launching one?
February 24, 2018 3:15 PM Subscribe
The Space Shuttle has been compared to a flying brick. How do you practice landing a flying brick? In a customized Gulfstream II with thrust reversers all the way down.
The Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA) was developed to allow shuttle pilots to practice approach and landing in an aircraft that flies like a 110-ton glider. The cockpit was outfitted with shuttle-like controls, and a computer controlled airspeed and throttle to simulate the response of an unpowered orbiter vehicle. First time shuttle pilots made about 500 practice approaches in the STA before flying their mission. Here's what the landing looks like from inside the STA cockpit.
The other way to land a Space Shuttle with launching one? Hitch an orbiter up to a 747, drop it off in the sky, and fly it home — as was done in the 1977 approach and landing tests. You can also view a complete approach and landing from this test series, with bonus commentary delivered by a reporter standing in a parking lot full of cool/ugly 1970s cars.
The Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA) was developed to allow shuttle pilots to practice approach and landing in an aircraft that flies like a 110-ton glider. The cockpit was outfitted with shuttle-like controls, and a computer controlled airspeed and throttle to simulate the response of an unpowered orbiter vehicle. First time shuttle pilots made about 500 practice approaches in the STA before flying their mission. Here's what the landing looks like from inside the STA cockpit.
The other way to land a Space Shuttle with launching one? Hitch an orbiter up to a 747, drop it off in the sky, and fly it home — as was done in the 1977 approach and landing tests. You can also view a complete approach and landing from this test series, with bonus commentary delivered by a reporter standing in a parking lot full of cool/ugly 1970s cars.
As an aside, looks like the current iteration of the article could use some copyediting.
posted by killdevil at 4:00 PM on February 24, 2018
posted by killdevil at 4:00 PM on February 24, 2018
Similarly, how do you prepare to fly the YF-23 fighter prototype, the most advanced fighter aircraft in the world in 1990? By practicing in the NC-131H Total In-Flight Simulator (TIFS), which was a modified version of the Convair C-131 Samaritan turboprop transport plane from the 1950s.
The TIFS had an extra cockpit where the pilot-in-training sat. Its computers were loaded with wind-tunnel and fluid-dynamics simulation data about how the YF-23 would react to the control surface movement, as well as the flight control laws about how its computers would move flight control surfaces in response to pilot input. It then had a lot of extra control surfaces to try to approximate that response. For the pilot it felt the same as the real aircraft, as long as the speed and g-loading was within what the C-131 could do.
The TIFS was also used when developing the Space Shuttle, the B-2, and several other airplanes.
posted by youzicha at 6:19 PM on February 24, 2018 [2 favorites]
The TIFS had an extra cockpit where the pilot-in-training sat. Its computers were loaded with wind-tunnel and fluid-dynamics simulation data about how the YF-23 would react to the control surface movement, as well as the flight control laws about how its computers would move flight control surfaces in response to pilot input. It then had a lot of extra control surfaces to try to approximate that response. For the pilot it felt the same as the real aircraft, as long as the speed and g-loading was within what the C-131 could do.
The TIFS was also used when developing the Space Shuttle, the B-2, and several other airplanes.
posted by youzicha at 6:19 PM on February 24, 2018 [2 favorites]
Scott Kelly mentioned this jet in his autobiography, only part way though so he may go into greater detail at some point. The descriptions of life on the space station are really interesting.
posted by sammyo at 6:41 PM on February 24, 2018
posted by sammyo at 6:41 PM on February 24, 2018
On shuttle launch days, you would hear the STA doing repeated approach tests. One of the shuttle LAUNCH criteria that had to be met was that the landing at the local Kennedy airstrip (the Shuttle Landing Facility or SLF) had to be possible, a few minutes after launch, meaning reasonably* clear of clouds and precip (* yes, they had very specific rules). So they would have a couple other astronauts (NOT the ones being strapped into the shuttle) flying loops in the Gilfstream and providing reports back.
That's also why you'd hear them talking about the weather in Zaragoza, Istres, Banjul ... those were all abort sites for where to go if the shuttle didn't make it all the way to orbit.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_space_shuttle_landing_sites
On the last launch day, in July 2011, as the seconds ticked by during ascent and various milestones were reached, I imagined binders methodically being thrown in the trash one after another. "Glad we wrote this, but never needed it." *thunk*
RTLS, *thunk*. TAL, *thunk*. Mid-air orbit during landing, *thunk*.
posted by intermod at 9:33 PM on February 24, 2018 [6 favorites]
That's also why you'd hear them talking about the weather in Zaragoza, Istres, Banjul ... those were all abort sites for where to go if the shuttle didn't make it all the way to orbit.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_space_shuttle_landing_sites
On the last launch day, in July 2011, as the seconds ticked by during ascent and various milestones were reached, I imagined binders methodically being thrown in the trash one after another. "Glad we wrote this, but never needed it." *thunk*
RTLS, *thunk*. TAL, *thunk*. Mid-air orbit during landing, *thunk*.
posted by intermod at 9:33 PM on February 24, 2018 [6 favorites]
I'm glad we never had to do a RTLS, but you can catch the simulated excitement on YouTube.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 10:02 PM on February 24, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 10:02 PM on February 24, 2018 [2 favorites]
Listening to the last link, I am struck by the commentator's "newsman's voice". I don't think it exists anymore.
posted by Steakfrites at 11:02 AM on February 25, 2018
posted by Steakfrites at 11:02 AM on February 25, 2018
Here's a fascinating and harrowing article from Tested about the RTLS abort plan. I'm glad I'm learning about it after the shuttles have become part of spaceflight history.
And somewhere, I've got a collectible Approach and Landing Test mission patch that I need to get out and put where I can see it again.
posted by bryon at 11:02 PM on February 25, 2018 [2 favorites]
And somewhere, I've got a collectible Approach and Landing Test mission patch that I need to get out and put where I can see it again.
posted by bryon at 11:02 PM on February 25, 2018 [2 favorites]
Listening to the last link, I am struck by the commentator's "newsman's voice". I don't think it exists anymore.
Tom Brokaw is the last person I know of who delivered news like anything like this. My wife and I were talking a little while ago about how this is one of those voices you never hear anymore, like the mid-Atlantic accent from old 1940s movies. It's the perfect voice for a certain period in American history. "Gas costs $45 a gallon and the world may blow itself up at any moment, but let me mansplain to all you skeptics how the shuttle will definitely clear the 747's tail after the explosive bolts fire."
I think that Walter Cronkite has the best version of this "newsman voice," and he was probably the model for a lot of imitations. You can find a good example of his delivery in the coverage of the Apollo 4 launch. Everything about this video is awesome. First Walter Cronkite is like, "Let me give you some facts. You thought America couldn't do it, but guess what, we can." Then there's a title sequence, and the symphonic overture fades into cool/spooky 1960s synthesizer moon music.
Then there's more talk, and finally the Saturn V blasts off, and it is too powerful for even the cool demeanor of Walter Cronkite. He drops his schtick, announces that the building is shaking, and then announces that he is holding a big shaking glass window. ("Save the window with no regard for risk of flying glass," is an ultimate square dad move, and reflects his bedrock persona in time of crisis.)
Then he gets too excited to contain himself. "Look at that ROCKET go! Into the clouds at 3,000 feet! The roar is terrific! Look at it going! You can see it! You can see it!"
Then he gathers himself and becomes a Very Serious Person again. It's a very cool little bit of history, and really is a testament to what the experience of a Saturn V launch must have been like.
posted by compartment at 7:36 AM on February 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
Tom Brokaw is the last person I know of who delivered news like anything like this. My wife and I were talking a little while ago about how this is one of those voices you never hear anymore, like the mid-Atlantic accent from old 1940s movies. It's the perfect voice for a certain period in American history. "Gas costs $45 a gallon and the world may blow itself up at any moment, but let me mansplain to all you skeptics how the shuttle will definitely clear the 747's tail after the explosive bolts fire."
I think that Walter Cronkite has the best version of this "newsman voice," and he was probably the model for a lot of imitations. You can find a good example of his delivery in the coverage of the Apollo 4 launch. Everything about this video is awesome. First Walter Cronkite is like, "Let me give you some facts. You thought America couldn't do it, but guess what, we can." Then there's a title sequence, and the symphonic overture fades into cool/spooky 1960s synthesizer moon music.
Then there's more talk, and finally the Saturn V blasts off, and it is too powerful for even the cool demeanor of Walter Cronkite. He drops his schtick, announces that the building is shaking, and then announces that he is holding a big shaking glass window. ("Save the window with no regard for risk of flying glass," is an ultimate square dad move, and reflects his bedrock persona in time of crisis.)
Then he gets too excited to contain himself. "Look at that ROCKET go! Into the clouds at 3,000 feet! The roar is terrific! Look at it going! You can see it! You can see it!"
Then he gathers himself and becomes a Very Serious Person again. It's a very cool little bit of history, and really is a testament to what the experience of a Saturn V launch must have been like.
posted by compartment at 7:36 AM on February 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
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Like most of the support systems for the Shuttle program, the STAs were exquisitely engineered, very expensive and perhaps overkill for their intended application. I believe they were considered for continued use as executive transports after the shuttles were retired, but they ended up on static display in various spots around the country.
posted by killdevil at 3:59 PM on February 24, 2018 [18 favorites]