The first is the number of upperdeck windows on the sides of the aircraft. The following section describes a us legacy unmatched in capability and its contribution to future spaceflight endeavors. The two jets, dubbed shuttle carrier aircraft, are almost identical in appearance and functionality. Sca abbreviation stands for shuttle carrier aircraft. May 31, 2012 each orbiter was serviced, assembled and launched from the kennedy space center so a way to transport a shuttle to cape kennedy was devised by carrying it atop a modified boeing b747. Full text of aerodynamic design of the space shuttle orbiter. Pdf this paper describes the flight simulation and selection study that transformational space. His assignments included a variety of flight research and support activities piloting nasas b52 launch aircraft, the boeing 747 shuttle carrier aircraft sca, and other multiengine and high performance aircraft. Aviation and aerodynamics have developed rapidly since 1903. An homage to the recently retired space shuttle program, this set is the shuttle carrier aircraft sca.
Shuttle carrier aircraft wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. Can the skylon concept lead to a viable transport to leo. The space shuttle prototype enterprise flies free after being released from nasas 747 shuttle carrier aircraft. The scas were used to ferry space shuttles from landing sites back to the shuttle landing facility at the kennedy space center, and to and from other locations too distant for the orbiters to. The scas were used to ferry space shuttles from landing sites back to the shuttle landing facility at the kennedy space center. The following video was filmed by one of the two nasa drydens fa18 hornet jets escorting the space shuttle endeavour mounted atop boeing 747 sca shuttle carrier aircraft, during its final. Robert bob montgomery participated in the space shuttle approach and landing test program, conducted by nasa dryden at edwards in 1977. Aftosmis and others published skylon aerodynamics and. For example, while the behavior of hypersonic flow is understood, building a scramjet aircraft to fly at hypersonic speeds has seen very limited success. Jq85 16911 aerodynamic challenges of alt ivy hooks, david homan, paul romere nasa johnson space center abstract the approach and landing test alt of the space shuttle orbiter presented a number of unique challenges in the area of aerodynamics. Early in the shuttle program it was used for the approach and landing test alt flights that carried the test vehicle enterprise in 1977. Atlantis and its modified boeing 747 shuttle carrier aircraft departed lackland air force base in san antonio, texas at. Nasas specially modified 747 shuttle carrier aircraft, or sca, is positioned under the space shuttle discovery to be attached for their ferry flight to the kennedy space center in florida.
Also, remember while largely as aerodynamic as a brick, the orbiter does have some lift, so while in flight the 747 doesnt have to carry all 69,000 kg. Space shuttle prototype enterprise separates from nasa 905 for its first free flight, 12 august 1977. A spaceplane is an aerospace vehicle that can flyglide like an aircraft in earths atmosphere. It describes general trends in development of aircraft aerodynamics, applied computational methods and design techniques, offers some recent examples, outlines future objectives. Sign up to receive updates on stratolaunch news, announcements, launches. The decision to fly an orbitershuttle carrier aircraft sca configuration required that the. Space shuttle atlantis is on its way to its second stop today in its crosscountry ferry flight, columbus air force base in mississippi. Aircraft design is a compromise it is the task of the aircraft design engineer to balance the customer requirements with the physical constraints, cost and timescale, in order to produce the most effective aircraft possible. Impacts of released stores back onto the carrier aircraft are far from.
The system is composed of a b52 or l1011 carrier aircraft and a winged rocket vehicle with three stages. Space transportation system, shuttle carrier aircraft haer no. The shuttle carrier aircraft sca are two extensively modified boeing 747 airliners that nasa used to transport space shuttle orbiters. Charles gordon fullerton was a united states air force colonel, a usaf and nasa astronaut, and a research pilot at nasas dryden flight research facility, edwards, california. Landings at alternate airfields required the shuttle carrier aircraft to transport the.
Vural 5 the student must note that fitting process shown in fig. A fourstage rls could be used to launch small satellites. Apr, 2012 nasas original shuttle carrier aircraft, a modified boeing 747100 known by its tail number, nasa 905 n905na, first flew passengers as an american airlines jetliner in the early 1970s. Aerodynamics of the wingfuselage junction at an transport. How was the boeing 747 able to lift the space shuttle.
Media in category shuttle carrier aircraft the following 9 files are in this category, out of 9 total. After landing at edwards, the orbiter was flown back to the ksc on the shuttle carrier aircraft. The centers work with research aircraft that validated aerodynamics, structures, thermal properties, flight controls and human physiology was key to decisions made during early stages. Scama station conferencing and monitoring arrangement. Scape selfcontained atmosphere protective ensemble. Nasa history division introduction to the aerodynamics of flight. The shuttle carrier aircraft sca were two extensively modified boeing 747 airliners that nasa used to transport space shuttle orbiters. The rocket accelerates and uses aerodynamic forces to change its trajectory and pitch upwards. Conceptual stage separation from widebody subsonic carrier. Two other proposed flight demonstration system concepts used the sca905 aircraft as the carrier stage. The orbiters were placed on top of the scas by matedemate. The fundamental concepts, and approaches of aerospace engineering, are highlighted through lectures on aeronautics, astronautics, and design. Based on this altitude, stones group felt that a bell x2 research aircraft would be entirely feasible if it were launched from a carrier aircraft and equipped with two jpl4 sargeant solidfuel rocket boosters. Skylon aerodynamics and sabre plumes unmeel mehta, michael aftosmis, jeffrey bowles, and shishir pandya nasa ames research center, moffett field, california 94035, usa an independent partial assessment is provided of the technical viability of the skylon.
And i believe the original decision was aerodynamics because the thrust is asymmetric. Aerodynamics and debris transport for the space shuttle. So it is actually flying not straight but is a little bit screwed. The space shuttle prototype enterprise flies free after being released from nasas 747 shuttle carrier aircraft sca during one of five free flights carried out at the dryden flight research center, edwards, california in 1977, as part of the shuttle programs approach and landing tests alt. The tail numbers nasa 911 and nasa 905 were used for the two shuttle carrier aircraft, converted boeing 747s that carried the shuttle between the landing sites and the launch complex at kennedy space center. The space shuttle is a partially reusable low earth orbital spacecraft system that was operated. Nasa history division introduction to the aerodynamics. One is a 747100 model, while the other is a short range 747100sr. Ssme space shuttle main engine ssto single stage to orbit tbcc turbinebased combined cycle. For one, the shuttle is a lifting body, not a plane it relies on the aerodynamics of the whole thing, not just the wings. Tx116l page 5 also at the time of documentation, there were two primary features that distinguished one sca from the other.
Did the shuttles rudder or elevons operate when flown on. Aerodynamics incorporated dba sky value dba sky value airways dba great lakes jet express. Nasa space shuttlecarrying jumbo jet retires after one last flight. Talay langley research center prepared at langley research center scientific and technical information office national aeronautics and space administration, washington, d. The main engine was placed onto a central block of a carrier rocket energia which is able to launch into an orbit 120 tonns of payload against 30 tonns for space shuttle. The shuttle training aircraft sta was a nasa training vehicle that duplicated the space shuttle s approach profile and handling qualities, allowing space shuttle pilots to simulate shuttle landings under controlled conditions before attempting the task on board the orbiter.
The following material will shed some light on the how and why of an airplanes design. Crtd using th latest n computational fluid dynamics validated n th worlds m. Aeronautics is the science or art involved with the study, design, and manufacturing of air flight capable machines, and the techniques of operating aircraft and rockets within the atmosphere. Shuttle carrier aircraft sca axm paper space scale.
The space shuttle endeavour takes off from kennedy space center on the back of shuttle carrier aircraft nasa 905. We visited and examined the shuttle carrier aircraft. For two, the control surfaces on the shuttle are relatively small compared to the carrier plane its primarily designed for hypersonic flight, with just enough liftto. Did the shuttles rudder or elevons operate when flown on its. Three proposed operational concepts were based on the b747400f aircraft as the airbreathing carrier stage. The first orbiter, columbia, launched on 12 april 1981 and returned on 14 april, 54. But this is no ordinary 747, this is the shuttle carrier aircraft. The first nasa 747 shuttle carrier aircraft, or sca, was subsequently used to launch the.
About 5 seconds after pegasus is dropped from the carrier aircraft, the firststage solid rocket motor ignites. The flight trajectory required to reach orbit results in significant aerodynamic. Nasas original shuttle carrier aircraft sca, a modified boeing 747 jumbo jetliner that for three decades flew the space agencys orbiters coast to coast, completed a twonight road trip to space center houston early wednesday morning april 30. Does the space shuttles own aerodynamic lift as a glider. Our guest in this episode is ace beall who flew the scas for several years. Space shuttle atlantis on a shuttle carrier aircraft. Bornemann manager, space shuttle aerodynamics rockwell international corporation space systems group 12214 lakewood boulevard downey, ca 90241 t.
Columbia carried a crew of two mission commander john w. It was not quite the blast off, but a fullsize, replica space shuttle rose into the sky over houston to be mounted on top of a historic nasa jumbo jet. Shuttle carrier aircraft sca the shuttle carrier aircraft is a modified jumbo b747100 that ferries the orbiter from a remote landing location back to the launch site. The sca is a modified boeing 747 that was used to transport the space shuttle from various landing sights back to the kennedy space center in cape canaveral, fl. The first is the number of upperdeck windows on the sides of the aircraft near the forward support strut for. Pdf selection of a carrier aircraft and a launch method for. Aerodynamics and flight the wings allowed the spacecraft to. A boeing aerodynamicist, bob conducted wind tunnel test to develop the control modifications as a result of carrying the space shuttle, and devised procedures so it could be safely separated. The scas, known as nasa 905 and nasa 911, are both erstwhile commercial airplanes with a few. Vehicle historical information is given in appendix b.
This system consists of the second stage, a supersonic aircraft. For two, the control surfaces on the shuttle are relatively small compared to the carrier plane its primarily designed for hypersonic flight, with just enough lifttoweight ratio at subsonic to comfortably glide and land. The theory of aircraft aerodynamics aviation explorer. Shuttle carrier aircraft sca sunt doua avioane boeing 747 modificate pentru a transporta naveta spa. Selection of a carrier aircraft and a launch method for air launching space vehicles. Long recognized for its core value of operational excellence, skyvalue has served the industry for 58 years without incident or accident. Murat vural illinois institute of technology i overview the purpose of this document is to estimate the aerodynamics and performance of an rc model.
Contentsshow development the aircraft s exterior was modified to withstand the high aerodynamic forces incurred. Only difference is the passenger and the seats weight in normal b747 are replaced by shuttle and the instr. In its beginning, the sca worn the original american airlines colors. Not that i have any real qualification to answer but if you look at the angle when they are flying together, youll see that the plane is at a really steep angle, like its taking off this seems to indicate to me that the shuttle requires a lo. It was modified to ferry orbiters to and from various shuttle facilities and to transport and release ov101 for the alt program. Conceptual stage separation from widebody subsonic carrier aircraft for space access article in aeronautical journal new series 1181209. The aerodynamic design of rvws is driven by their wide mach number and altitude. However the runways the shuttle carrier operates from are those that the shuttle actually lands on, so theyre a lot longer so theres no problem here. Along with building a successful scramjet aircraft, the desire to improve the aerodynamic efficiency of current aircraft and propulsion systems will continue to fuel new research in aerodynamics. Nicolais writeup technical fellow, lockheed martin aeronautical company by dr. You have the external tank, and the shuttle is sitting on the external tank, so the thrust actually has to be through the center of mass of the whole system. It was the first american crewed space flight since the apollo. Pdf skylon aerodynamics and propulsive flight researchgate.
Active learning aerospace modules make use of information technology. The program tested aerodynamic characteristics that would later be applied to the space. Nasas space shuttle program in photos space shuttle discovery and its modified 747 carrier aircraft lift off from edwards air force base early in the morning of sept. Glass memorial lecture may 2012 stuart rogers applied modeling and simulation branch. Full text of aerodynamic design of the space shuttle orbiter see other formats 111 aerodynamic design of the space shuttle orbiter by w. Nasa history division introduction to the aerodynamics of flight nasa sp367 theodore a. Nasa space shuttlecarrying jumbo jet retires after one last. The maximum takeoff weight for shuttle carrier aircraft sca is 730000lb which is more or less equal to the b747s maximum takeoff weight.
The shuttle carrier aircraft sca are two extensively modified boeing 747 jetliners that nasa uses to transport a space shuttle orbiter. Sts1 space transportation system1 was the first orbital spaceflight of nasas space shuttle program. Shuttle training aircraft national aeronautics and space. At edwards air force base, california, the prototype space shuttle oriter, enterprise, ov101 was mated to the boeing 747100 shuttle carrier aircraft, n905na, call sign nasa 905, for the first of five approach and landing test flights. Including its 20minute final flight, nasa 911 amassed a total of 33,004. List of nasa aircraft wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. Introduction the basic 747 model 123 aircraft was qualified in 1970 by faa certification. The space shuttle prototype enterprise rides smoothly atop nasas first shuttle carrier aircraft sca, nasa 905, during the first of the shuttle programs approach and landing tests alt at the dryden flight research center, edwards, california, in 1977. The craneenabled flight of the independence was in support of space center houstons display of nasas shuttle carrier aircraft. Nasas 747 shuttle carrier aircraft, identified by its tail number as nasa 905, arrived at the agencys kennedy space center in florida yesterday afternoon to ferry the retired space shuttle endeavour on one final flight together next week. Pdf selection of a carrier aircraft and a launch method for air.
Flight conditions are determined for safe mated flight, safe stage separation, and for the launch vehicle as it commences ascending flight. The carrier vehicle used in those tests is the current shuttle carrier aircraft. Aircraft design requires teamwork no one design group is more important than the others. Space shuttle aerodynamic development studies scholarly. The purpose of the alt program was both to confirm the use. Vural 1 estimating rc model aerodynamics and performance adapted from dr. Orbiter for ferry flights on top of the boeing 747 shuttle carrier aircraft. The nasa sca is a boeing 747 100 series purchased from american airlines on june 17, 1974. Apr 23, 2014 it has been called the worlds greatest piggyback ride. Nasa used two modified boeing 747 jetliners, originally manufactured for commercial use, as space shuttle carrier aircraft.
This is the final time endeavour will be at kennedy space center. Accurate assessment of aerodynamic forces and moments is critical during staging to account. Aerodynamic lift essential to flight in the atmosphere was obtained from the shape of the vehicles rather than from wings, as on a normal aircraft. We visited and examined the shuttle carrier aircraft sca 747100 at nasa dryden, and discussed with. Student teams are immersed in a handson, lighterthanair lta vehicle design project, where they design, build, and fly radiocontrolled lta vehicles. What is the abbreviation for shuttle carrier aircraft. Dec 10, 2008 nasa n911 shuttle carrier aircraft takes off with the shuttle endeavor.