Re: Deep Rescue: Will a shuttle float?

The space shuttle payload bay is 60 ft x 15 ft - roughly cylindrical.
That's 10,602.9 cubic feet. Seawater weighs 64.1 pounds per cubic
foot. So, that's a total displacement of the payload bay alone of
679,644.3 pounds. The main body of the shuttle is 16 ft in diameter
and 122 feet long. A cylinder of this size occupies 24,549.6 cubic
feet. That's enough to displace 1,572,344 pounds of seawater,

An empty space shuttle orbiter masses around 218,500 pounds with
engines installed, which is about 1/3 the weight of displaced water of
the cargo bay alone. If you placed a space shuttle in the ocean it
would likely not sink, as long as the payload bay didn't leak. If the
payload bay leaked, it could be 2/3 filled with water and still the
shuttle would float.

I believe the shuttle's payload bay is equipped with vents so that
there isn't a lot of pressure when the bay is opened. So, in the ocean
it would likely fill through those vents. The rest of the interior is
also vented for the same reason I believe. The cabin, and a skylab is
not vented obviously, but combined they have enough volume to float the
whole space shuttle easily in sea water.

.

Relevant Pages

  • Space Shuttle Processing Status Report, 23-03-2005
    ... NASA's Kennedy Space Center issues Space Shuttle Processing ... Technicians in Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3 make final ... preparations for Discovery's rollover to the Vehicle Assembly ... The payload bay doors were closed today, ...
    (sci.space.shuttle)
  • NASAS SPACE SHUTTLE PROCESSING STATUS REPORT 04.14.06
    ... NASA's space shuttle fleet is housed and processed at Kennedy Space ... left payload bay doors were opened earlier in the week in preparation ... The external tank ... Final closeouts continue in the Vehicle Assembly Building on the ...
    (sci.space.shuttle)
  • NASAS SPACE SHUTTLE PROCESSING STATUS REPORT: S-061906
    ... NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE PROCESSING STATUS REPORT ... NASA's Kennedy Space Center issues Space Shuttle Processing ... Location: Launch Pad 39B ... Mid-body closeouts in the payload bay are complete. ...
    (sci.space.shuttle)
Loading