Re: Orbiter can save itself!

"Jorge R. Frank" wrote:
NASA plans to allow remote control landings only as a last-ditch
contingency to salvage a damaged orbiter, and has no plans for automated
landings at all. So I would guess not.

I would have thought that once the mods are in, they might try them with
a human crew able to take over if the automation doesn't work. Once
tested, NASA would then feel more comfortable (at least from a PR point
of view) about remote "Piloting" the shuttle back to earth.

Most of the commands would be sent up in advance as timetagged Stored
Program Commands (SPCs). For commands that are normally cued by
conditions other than time, the flight dynamics officer must predict the
time when that condition would be met.

Interesting.

If they were to build a new shuttle today, would current computer
technilogy make it a better solution to automate based on conditions
instead of timer ? Or are there good reasons to by time instead of
conditions ?

I didn't forget it. There is no automatic braking, so the landing will
have to do without them. That's why the drag chute and a nice, long
runway are so important.

Are the brakes FWB via the computer ? or are they totally separate with
no possibility of computer activating brakes ?

I don't know that either. But since the orbiter in question would already
be damaged and would almost certainly never fly again anyway, I don't
think NASA's all that concerned about additional damage after the bird is
on the ground.

Once NASA announces that shuttles can be remotely de-orbited, won't
there be some pressure to use that at the first sign of trouble ? For
instance, if a few gap fillers stick out or a couple of missing /damaged
tiles in a non critical area, would PR issues put pressure on NASA not
take a risk and keep crew on station and bring shuttle back remotely ?
.

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