One thing a lot of people get wrong is that the idea that the shuttle was in orbit when it dropped the tank. When the engines shut down the tank and the shuttle were on the same orbital trajectory that intersected the atmosphere. This meant the shuttle had to boost itself at the highest point of its orbit using the OMS to avoiding reentering the atmosphere with the tank.
The final push into orbit is not from the main engines, but from the orbital maneuvering system (OMS). If the orbiter was in orbit at main engine cutoff (MECO) then the jettisoned tank would remain in orbit rather than burning up in the atmosphere.
Yeah caught that as well. I was like "Wait if you eject the MT and cut off the engines at the same time, then they would be on the same orbital trajectory" :)
Absolutely fascinating. I enjoyed how the vid used the story of one interesting and challenging mission to illustrate many of the functions and capabilities of the entire shuttle system-of-systems.
I just presented my Launch Systems final project a few hours ago and I can absolutely tell you that rocket science is on a whole different level. The level of detail that goes into every aspect of these vehicles is just amazing and every single aspect is painstakingly scrutinized to a level the general public has never seen
What project? High school or NASA Engineer? :) What you wrote above might well fit for any science or a lot of engeneering projects. The general public knows close to nothing about what level of details science and technology is working on every day. Ask any PhD student about their projects, they will need a few paragraphs just to explain the question - as best as they can.
The Space Shuttle had it's faults, but man what a beautiful iconic machine. When the world came together to make the ISS America came to the table with a combination of an airplane, a school bus, and a pick up truck.
Could you do a video on the insane engineering of the LM? I find this ship so meaningful because it is the only craft ever designed to carry humans to fly only in 0 atmosphere conditions, which is why it looks so weird. I think this is very meaningful to engineering history because the fact that we needed a ship to carry people in 0 atmosphere conditions says a lot about how far we have come as a species. Thank you.
@ 11:25 The Chandra/IUS stack was not the maximum limit for the Shuttle fleet in general, only for OV-102 Columbia, which was 3.6 metric tons heavier than her newer sisters, and it was Columbia that flew that mission since she was the only orbiter at the time that had not been outfitted with an external airlock and therefore was capable of holding the 56 foot (17 meter) stack in her payload bay. As it was, the mission was only possible for Columbia because of the recent introduction of the super lightweight aluminum-lithium external tanks, which shaved off 8,000 lbs (3.6 mt) in mass from the overall Shuttle launch stack and therefore added a roughly equivalent amount to the payload mass to orbit.
The more I learn about the shuttle, the more I'm surprised how well every single part was thought out. They even had covers for the flight sticks! And the capture mechanism on the Canadarm is just 💯
And a too small air lock room for space walks and hinges that lock with temperature differences. Not to mention the maintenance nightmare of the orbiter. Amazing!
@@paddorbro the space shuttle was designed in the 70s. It needed to be revised and re designed several times but never was. It was well ahead of Apollo but never got the attention it deserved. It languished and became obsikute.
To be nitpicky, 9:18 Laboratory 'crucibles' and beakers are not made of fused silica, they are made of borosilicate. Fused silica has much better heat & heat shock tolerance and lower thermal expansion. Labware is made from borosilicate because it is much cheaper while still having good thermal properties.
The shuttle should never have been built as it was to be a giraffe when a horse was needed. It was the throwing of 250k lbs into orbit for a max payload of around 20k lbs...and then hauling most of that 250k lbs back down to Earth. What a waste! If a capsule was hoisted to orbit on top of a lightweight container, cutting off the weight of wings and wheels, the shuttle stack could have boosted well over 100k lbs to orbit on each launch as well as the external tank for construction materials. The presence of a capsule would have made the whole thing safer while reducing the wasted fuel and risk. With that kind of payload, the entire space station could have been lifted in 3-4 payloads and something larger than the Hubble could be panning the universe at the moment, with far more durable pointing elements and a greater capacity to restore for repeated images. And there is so much more that we could have done with those 133 launches, not to mention that we would probably have had 14 less casualties. 90% of weight to orbit as useful payloads as opposed to shuttle's 10% seems the brighter way to go. The occasional need for down-mass beyond the capabilities of the capsule could be met by putting a lifting body in the freight container. It could easily carry more down-mass than the shuttle and could be landed remotely with little to no risk to personnel. The shuttle was far more complex than it had to be, contributing massively to the cost and destroying the rapid reusability, making it mostly refurbishable at huge expense.
@@everettlwilliamsii3740 considering what they had to deal with in regards to the requirements from both the engineers and the military, they did what they could. It still plays a major role in our history. For what came out of the entire project, I still think they did very well and showed what could be done when so many requirements had to be met.
14:45 "...allowing any two spacecraft to dock together, as Goddard intended." Thank you for this - it made me burst out laughing in the middle of a crowded restaurant.
@norman_zits a play on words. Taking the religious phrase of "as God intended" and changing it to Goddard, who was essentially the inventer of rocket boosters. Referring to him as the god of space flight
@@TheDwightMambayes. Still pretty insane, and part of the problem when you have multiple agencies adding design requirements trying to make the vehicle best of all worlds.
@@MaxBrix The James Webb Space Telescope had less than 300 points of failure to open up a sunshield the size of a tennis court. My point was that anything that relies on 2.5 million moving parts wouldn't last past launch.
The pictures of the three astronauts on an EVA capturing a satellite were always some of my all time favorites. I didn't know anything about the mission at all. I'm glad I got to hear about it in this video.
The only launch Ive ever attended, I was 14 and It was the STS-88 launch you mention... I had no idea at the time that it was the first mating of ISS components, but I do recall it feeling like an earthquake in Florida! What a beautiful beast she was!
As a child of the 80s (born 1978) this is the ship I grew up with and got to watch every 6 months or so on TV. Will forever hold a special place in my heart. It was a worthy heavy lift unit albeit a risky one and it's nice to see Starship coming through to pick up where it left off. I can only hope the 2020s will consist of Starship and the most reliable heavy lift we've ever seen.
@@JK_Clark What is your point? My point is RUclips should promote more science and educational videos instead of vapid garbage like SSSniperWolf. And to answer your question, I watched this video a few months ago: ruclips.net/video/8ImtbHTX9gc/видео.html
I enjoy listening to this voice over, being Irish myself, but when focussed, trying to learn, and you hear the word ‘unbiblical’ my brain stalls. Great videos for the holidays, carry on being REAL,
Not gonna lie i wasnt sure what this video was about from the title, but learning about what goes on in the backround during space shuttle missions is interesting!
I'm am trying my best to not label these as episode 1,2,3 because that tends to result in some very poor performance, so the titling is a little goofy. The three episodes are launch, orbit, and reentry.
I learned so many new things about the space shuttle Orbiter from this episode, and also about that satellite mission, had no idea it was unplanned to have 3 astronauts on EVA, thats one of my favorite pics of the shuttle program! I wonder when we'll ever see more than 2 NASA astronauts on an EVA ever again, that's such a cool sight to see.
In the early shutlle program, someone (I think it was David Brin), proposed not ejecting the main fuel tank until it was in orbit. By putting a hatch on it, you would have a large pressure tight enclosure ready for retrofitting into a space station. By attaching multiple tanks with cables and spinning them, a rotating wheel type station was possible. No idea if it was feasible.
if my simple understanding is up to par, even assuming that the fuel tank is a simple hollow cylinder, the propellants are kinda hazardous after all, sensors and scrubbing equipment required to make it safe for activities would add extra weight, which itself is already a very scarce commodity for space flights.
@@wytfish4855 Liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. The idea was to have an excess of oxygen. The followup mission would install a fuel cell to provide power. The fuel cell would combine hydrogen and oxygen to create water. The followup mission would also bring liquid nitrogen to combine with the oxygen to create air (79% nitrogen, 21% oxygen). The power from the fuel cell would be used to heat the nitrogen/oxygen mixture until it turned into gas. The remaining liquid oxygen and nitrogen would be stored in tanks strapped to the outside as reserve. The new tank design would have one end of the oxygen tank and external shell flanged for removal and installation of internal parts fllowed by an airlock module. The tanks would be tethered to each other and spun for gravity simulation. Spinning in Earth’s magnetic field would generate electricity long term. Orbital manuevering would be provided by electron guns. NASA took one look, realized they could make it work if they Apollo level support, decided it wasn’t worth the risk, and shelved the idea.
Exactly as I’m binge watching your space videos since getting into Kerbal Space Program, this video gets out. Please keep making those they’re amazing !
bruuuuuuuh I wish this video was out a month ago 😂 it could have helped me so much for my space engineering introduction class in university, dang. Any chance you might do an episode on the Buran space shuttle? It’s honestly an engineering marvel imo
Ever since a child i've always thought how impressive it was to be runway landing a spacecraft! Yes spacex landing boosters and others now is so impressive it looks like sci-fi, it still doesnt take away from the awe that was the space shuttle.
I love these episodes. The space shuttle was what got me into aerospace, and this video taught me a lot about it. I am fortunate to have seen the Space Shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center!
To me, the most amazing thing is just how low the tolerance for failure is here. ANY mistake, anything at all, the smallest missed detail, and everyone dies. The fact that we have been able to successfully pull off all these launches is truly remarkable.
Loving this series. Can't wait for the next episode. "How to land the space shuttle... from space" is one of my favourite videos on youtube so i would love to learn more about the engineering behind the landing
Im certain Brian is aware, but there's a technical mistake at 22:55: a spacecraft with mass can't ever get to lightspeed *no matter* how much fuel it has, theoretically. It can get closer and closer to lightspeed, but never actually reach it.
This video here is just one amazing example of why to get Nebula. Also, going to the California ScienCenter, Cape Canaveral, and/or Smithsonian Air and Space museums will make this video real. Fantastic work, @realengineering! Amazing.
*Summary* *Lauch and Initial Operations* - *0:05** Space Shuttle Launch:* The Space Shuttle is launched, with its solid rocket boosters propelling it for the first 2 minutes before they fall back to Earth for reuse. - *0:16** Orbiter's Main Engines:* The orbiter is powered by three main engines using liquid oxygen and hydrogen from the external tank. - *0:27** External Tank Jettison:* After depleting its 700-tonne fuel, the external tank is jettisoned, marking the transition to weightlessness for the astronauts. *Shuttle Capabilities and Systems* - *0:54** Space Shuttle Functions:* The shuttle serves as a mobile laboratory and a space home, equipped for complex space tasks and providing a breathable atmosphere. - *2:19** Hypergolic Fuels:* The orbiter uses hypergolic fuels (nitrogen tetroxide and monomethyl hydrazine), which ignite on contact but are toxic and require special handling. - *2:54** Propellant Storage and Thrust Control:* The fuels are storable and provide reliable, precise thrust control, essential for space maneuvers. - *2:12** Reaction Control System:* The orbiter has a reaction control system with 44 thrusters for precise movements and docking. *In-Orbit Operations and Manual Controls* - *6:49** Manual Landing Gear Deployment:* Due to the risk of cosmic rays affecting computers, the landing gear is deployed manually to prevent accidental deployment in space. - *7:34** Mission Tasks Begin:* Once in orbit, astronauts start their tasks, including rendezvous with satellites and using various windows for observation and reusability. - *10:29** Payload Bay and Life Support:* The shuttle's payload bay carries large spacecraft like the Hubble Telescope, and the temperature control system is vital for life support. *Navigation, Docking, and EVA Preparations* - *12:51** Orbital Maneuvering System:* For major orbital changes, the Orbiter uses a separate system with large rocket nozzles for additional velocity. - *13:33** Navigation and Docking:* The orbiter uses star trackers for precise navigation and an androgynous docking system for universal compatibility with other spacecraft. - *14:11** EVA Preparations:* Astronauts prepare for extravehicular activities (EVA) for missions like satellite repair or construction, using the airlock in the crew cabin. *Space Station Construction and Satellite Capture* - *15:09** Docking System:* The docking system forms an airtight connection between spacecraft, used extensively in the construction of the International Space Station. - *15:17** International Space Station Construction:* The Space Shuttle played a key role in transporting and assembling the International Space Station, starting with the first modules in 1998. - *15:45** EVA for Satellite Capture:* Astronauts performed an EVA (extravehicular activity) to manually capture a stranded satellite using a specially designed capture bar. - *16:00** Challenges in Satellite Capture:* Multiple attempts to capture the satellite were unsuccessful due to it bouncing off the capture bar. - *16:26** Satellite Capture Strategy:* After several failed attempts, a new strategy involving direct manual capture by astronauts was considered. - *17:04** New Capture Plan:* The plan involved astronauts grabbing the satellite with their hands, exploiting the maneuverability and fuel efficiency of the Endeavor. - *17:57** Utilizing EVA Suits:* The mission had three EVA suits onboard, leading to a new idea of sending three astronauts out to capture the satellite. - *19:06** Airlock Capacity Issue:* The airlock was designed for only two people, posing a challenge for three astronauts in EVA suits. - *20:02** Airlock Adjustment:* One astronaut had to use internal controls and be positioned upside down in the airlock to accommodate all three. *Canadarm Operation and Challenges* - *20:38** Canadarm Operation:* Bruce, a former Coast Guard helicopter pilot, operated the Canadarm due to his skill in controlling similar systems. - *21:32** Canadarm's Design and Function:* The Canadarm, weighing just 430 kilograms, could move 30 tonnes in orbit but couldn't support its own weight on Earth. - *22:00** Canadarm's Construction:* The arm had six joints and was made from low-weight materials, capable of precise movements in space. - *23:04** Inertia Challenges in Space:* Despite its capabilities, the Canadarm had to be used delicately to prevent damage from inertia. *Satellite Capture and Shuttle Maintenance* - *23:28** Intelsat Capture Solution:* A capture bar with a grapple point was used to secure the Intelsat satellite for Canadarm's operation. - *24:41** Successful Satellite Capture:* The satellite was successfully secured and equipped with a new second stage, extending its operational life. - *24:47** Additional Mission Objectives:* STS 49 also had to test space shuttle building techniques, with time constraints due to the extended satellite capture operation. - *25:05** Life Support Systems:* The shuttle used high-pressure oxygen and nitrogen tanks to create a breathable atmosphere, with CO2 scrubbed by lithium hydroxide canisters. - *25:43** Shuttle's Power System:* Oxygen and hydrogen tanks fueled a cell that produced water and electricity, with excess hydrogen gas separated and vented. *Re-entry Preparations and Challenges* - *26:11** Payload Door Closure Issue:* The payload doors wouldn't latch due to thermal warping, requiring potential EVA intervention. - *26:58** Solution to Door Warping:* The shuttle underwent a 'barbecue mode' rotation to equalize temperatures and successfully close the doors. - *27:48** Preparing for Re-entry:* Preparations for re-entry involved closing payload doors and firing OMS engines to reduce orbital velocity. - *28:03** Re-entry Process:* The shuttle re-entered the atmosphere at high speeds, creating charged plasma and extreme temperatures. - *28:26** Engineering for Re-entry and Landing:* Innovative engineering combined aerospace and aviation technologies for the shuttle's re-entry and landing. Disclaimer: I pasted the transcript as two separate segments into and GPT4 using ChatGPT Plus on 2023-12-25.
I really really love this look at the space shuttle. With all its faults, I still think the space shuttle is the coolest vehicle that humanity has ever built.
Fascinating look back at the Shuttle. No doubt a whole series of videos could be done on all the different missions. Just one minor correction - the arm is called Canadarm, not CanadaArm, as every Canadian knows ;).
Hey man, big fan. I love how you wrap scientific information in such a way as so the average person can understand it. You're one of my favorite channels man, keep it up. Though I'm wondering where you get the information for the vast amount of topics your channel presents, sometimes on very specific things like the inner workings of a fighter jet or NASA equipment. I always thought information like this wasn't publicly available?
NASA stuff is easy. They make a lot public. For planes it's more difficult and I rely on my knowledge about planes and interviews with experts more often. One of the reasons we won't see an episode about the F-22. Simply not enough info available to make it worthwhile imo
The amount of on the job adjustments that they had to do, even when they had planned for so much, astounds me. The fact that they got the adjustments done, speaks volumes about human ingenuity and resolve.
These 2 parts imo are the best ive ever seen on this topic. In depth and technical. You should do one for the ISS or how the SLS builds on the lessons learnt from the shuttle.
Love the job you do and all the details you bring to these videos. I feel like you're the only one on you tube I watch that the quality of the videos has stayed the same and not degraded with commercials. I have joined nebula just to support these videos. Keep up the great videos.
it's just waste and senseless time, which humanity worked for; to represent the world, that no one can go out of this matrix! Truth only makes it possible! Freedom to all!
Dude, very well done! I've actually watched 3 of your videos on the shuttle and they were all thoroughly enjoyable and educational. You actually have quite a gift. Unlike many others on RUclips your voice and way of delivering are pleasing enjoyable and engaging. Good job(s)! 👍😊
23:00 an ion drive cannot bring something theoretically to light speed. I’m sure you meant near light speed or to a significant fraction of light speed.
The real engineering is the explosions we made along the way. Edit: I can now see the confusion. No I am not referring to Challanger or Colombia. I was thinking more like, the hyperbolic fuels and chemistry stuff.
Fun fact. There has only been one married couple that has visited the space station. It was also a mission where the shuttle brought an extra room where suddenly the couple disappeared for an hour or 2. Assume with this what you will
Are you saying "umbiblicals"? It sounds like thats what you're saying. I noticed this on the last video too. Its "umbilical". Not a big deal. Just something I noticed. Fantastic set a videos so far. Im loving this shuttle stuff.
I still thinks it's nuts we don't have a real replacement for it. Such an invaluable piece of equipment. Such a thing to inspire pride. I still remember when we lost Columbia. And my dad was watching the tv at school when Challenger blew up.
SpaceX is trying. Falcon 9 and Heavy are doing the work that the Shuttle did. And the landings are continuing to inspire. But Starship should be closer to full capabilities of the Shuttle.
Well, they're doing some of the work the shuttle did. There's still missions we can't do that the shuttle was able to. Don't think we could easily attach a 2nd stage rocket to an existing satellite to extend it's life without the shuttle. I'm torn on outsourcing/subcontracting out that stuff to private, for profit companies. That's got to hurt NASA long term. Plus, I'm not confident at all of Starship from Space-X. Will make or break them, and then who's making rockets for NASA since they outsourced them? @@anthonypelchat
This channel constantly keeps me intrigued by all the applications of the engineering world, makes it a lot easy to stay with my studies. Great content!
excellent series! I'm looking forward to part 3 - of all the crazy engineering that went into the Space Shuttle, coming back to earth (without becoming bits of ash floating in the atmostphere) is the most interesting.
This is an amazing video. Your best yet. And there have been some really great ones. It's so well produced, so well researched and so well presented. It's one of the best you tube videos I've ever seen. It shows your enthusiasm and knowledge for the subject.
Less than a minute in and there's already a problem. The Orbiter wasn't in orbit when the main engines shut down. It still needed one final push from the final stage: the two OMS engines mounted in pods on either side of the vertical stabilizer. If not for that, it would have reentered the atmosphere on the opposite side of the planet.
13:30 It's is impossible to identify location with sufficient accuracy just by looking at stars (excluding the Sun), even the best astronomical telescopes are not accurate enough, so a more local object is needed.
If you missed episode 1: ruclips.net/video/UcBc0l7IrZU/видео.html
Did you mean ‘orbiter’ in the title?
no. episodes are launch, orbit, re-entry
@@RealEngineeringthen the first video was titled wrong
@Repent-and-believe-in-Jesusdude
@Repent-and-believe-in-Jesus huh
One thing a lot of people get wrong is that the idea that the shuttle was in orbit when it dropped the tank. When the engines shut down the tank and the shuttle were on the same orbital trajectory that intersected the atmosphere. This meant the shuttle had to boost itself at the highest point of its orbit using the OMS to avoiding reentering the atmosphere with the tank.
And that was mostly so the tank would reenter and break up, rather than leave space junk in orbit.
Yup but at that point they’re 99% of the way there so it doesn’t take much energy to to increase the periapsis.
Ever thought of using commas? It helps reading comments a lot and getting them right as well.
I believe this was explained in the video about the boosters and the take off system.
The tank clearly drops away from shuttle. How does the tank fall? It wasnt pushed down...
The final push into orbit is not from the main engines, but from the orbital maneuvering system (OMS). If the orbiter was in orbit at main engine cutoff (MECO) then the jettisoned tank would remain in orbit rather than burning up in the atmosphere.
true he said the other way in first vid.
@Repent-and-believe-in-Jesus I guess Joseph didn't get to jettison his tank then, either.
lol @Repent-and-believe-in-Jesus
@@MattExzy Mary really came up with the wildest cover story ever for cheating, and billions of people believed it lmao
Yeah caught that as well. I was like "Wait if you eject the MT and cut off the engines at the same time, then they would be on the same orbital trajectory" :)
Absolutely fascinating. I enjoyed how the vid used the story of one interesting and challenging mission to illustrate many of the functions and capabilities of the entire shuttle system-of-systems.
I just presented my Launch Systems final project a few hours ago and I can absolutely tell you that rocket science is on a whole different level. The level of detail that goes into every aspect of these vehicles is just amazing and every single aspect is painstakingly scrutinized to a level the general public has never seen
It’s awesome, satellite engineering is hard enough for me!
@Repent-and-believe-in-Jesus
All hail the Great Green Arkleseizure! May he bless thee by bestowing his Holy Handkerchief! Atchoo!
What project?
High school or NASA Engineer? :)
What you wrote above might well fit for any science or a lot of engeneering projects. The general public knows close to nothing about what level of details science and technology is working on every day. Ask any PhD student about their projects, they will need a few paragraphs just to explain the question - as best as they can.
Amazing that we are capable of such things! Also the cooperation among teams of engineers cross-continents is simply..... I am lost for words!!
The choice of fused quartz for the windows was just absolute perfection. The materials science fan in me was awestruck-
please do more space-themed engineering! absolutely love this
Nice profile pic
ISS
Can we get some on the Vostok, Voskhod and early NASA rockets?
The Space Shuttle had it's faults, but man what a beautiful iconic machine. When the world came together to make the ISS America came to the table with a combination of an airplane, a school bus, and a pick up truck.
While Russia had a beat-up old tractor from the 60s.
And, like everywhere else, the 80s tech stopped working while the older stuff kept trucking along.
So does every single other human invention.
Name one fail safe device
The main fault was that it had so many ridiculous requirements for one spacecraft.
Could you do a video on the insane engineering of the LM? I find this ship so meaningful because it is the only craft ever designed to carry humans to fly only in 0 atmosphere conditions, which is why it looks so weird. I think this is very meaningful to engineering history because the fact that we needed a ship to carry people in 0 atmosphere conditions says a lot about how far we have come as a species. Thank you.
0 atmosphere? Really that’s why it looks so weird?
It doesn’t have anything to do with it being filmed in a pool???😂
@ 11:25 The Chandra/IUS stack was not the maximum limit for the Shuttle fleet in general, only for OV-102 Columbia, which was 3.6 metric tons heavier than her newer sisters, and it was Columbia that flew that mission since she was the only orbiter at the time that had not been outfitted with an external airlock and therefore was capable of holding the 56 foot (17 meter) stack in her payload bay. As it was, the mission was only possible for Columbia because of the recent introduction of the super lightweight aluminum-lithium external tanks, which shaved off 8,000 lbs (3.6 mt) in mass from the overall Shuttle launch stack and therefore added a roughly equivalent amount to the payload mass to orbit.
14:50 "as Goddard intended" that was hilarious!
I forgot I left that joke in there honestly, and laughed myself during review. I don't know why I delivered it so dryly
@@RealEngineeringthe dead pan delivery was the best part. I rewound to verify whether I’d heard it right!
@norman_zplay on words from "as god intended"
Good catch! It was such a smooth delivery that I missed it on the first pass. Good ears.
@@InitialT-tm- Same, I even turned on subtitles XD
The more I learn about the shuttle, the more I'm surprised how well every single part was thought out.
They even had covers for the flight sticks! And the capture mechanism on the Canadarm is just 💯
And a too small air lock room for space walks and hinges that lock with temperature differences. Not to mention the maintenance nightmare of the orbiter. Amazing!
@@paddorseriously? How does that help anyone?
well, had EVERY single detail been thought out, there wouldn't had been 2 major disasters in human spaceflught history involving space shuttle
@@Snork086 how does what you're doing right now help anyone?
@@paddorbro the space shuttle was designed in the 70s. It needed to be revised and re designed several times but never was. It was well ahead of Apollo but never got the attention it deserved. It languished and became obsikute.
To be nitpicky, 9:18 Laboratory 'crucibles' and beakers are not made of fused silica, they are made of borosilicate. Fused silica has much better heat & heat shock tolerance and lower thermal expansion. Labware is made from borosilicate because it is much cheaper while still having good thermal properties.
I got your subtle joke at 14:50, "As Goddard intended" - well done.
This truly deserves a mini series.
Your videos are always great to watch, good job.
The Shuttle was truly a feat of engineering. Kudos to the crew involved in telling a great piece of history.
And kudos to the engineers who created it!
The shuttle should never have been built as it was to be a giraffe when a horse was needed. It was the throwing of 250k lbs into orbit for a max payload of around 20k lbs...and then hauling most of that 250k lbs back down to Earth. What a waste!
If a capsule was hoisted to orbit on top of a lightweight container, cutting off the weight of wings and wheels, the shuttle stack could have boosted well over 100k lbs to orbit on each launch as well as the external tank for construction materials. The presence of a capsule would have made the whole thing safer while reducing the wasted fuel and risk. With that kind of payload, the entire space station could have been lifted in 3-4 payloads and something larger than the Hubble could be panning the universe at the moment, with far more durable pointing elements and a greater capacity to restore for repeated images. And there is so much more that we could have done with those
133 launches, not to mention that we would probably have had 14 less casualties. 90% of weight to orbit as useful payloads as opposed to shuttle's 10% seems the brighter way to go. The occasional need for down-mass beyond the capabilities of the capsule could be met by putting a lifting body in the freight container. It could easily carry more down-mass than the shuttle and could be landed remotely with little to no risk to personnel.
The shuttle was far more complex than it had to be, contributing massively to the cost and destroying the rapid reusability, making it mostly refurbishable at huge expense.
@@everettlwilliamsii3740 considering what they had to deal with in regards to the requirements from both the engineers and the military, they did what they could. It still plays a major role in our history. For what came out of the entire project, I still think they did very well and showed what could be done when so many requirements had to be met.
"As Goddard intended"
Solid gold line
I don't even know how to share this joke with my friends, but I love it!
@norman_z It's a play off of the phrase, "As god intended". Because Goddard has actually intelligent designers, it is more than just a play on words
"As Goddard intended." Well-played! : )
14:45 "...allowing any two spacecraft to dock together, as Goddard intended." Thank you for this - it made me burst out laughing in the middle of a crowded restaurant.
@norman_zits a play on words. Taking the religious phrase of "as God intended" and changing it to Goddard, who was essentially the inventer of rocket boosters. Referring to him as the god of space flight
The shuttle had 2,500,000 moving parts. The challenge of managing that many points of failure is absurd.
Total parts, not moving parts.
That's ridiculous
@@TheDwightMambayes. Still pretty insane, and part of the problem when you have multiple agencies adding design requirements trying to make the vehicle best of all worlds.
@@MaxBrix The James Webb Space Telescope had less than 300 points of failure to open up a sunshield the size of a tennis court.
My point was that anything that relies on 2.5 million moving parts wouldn't last past launch.
If you count the fact that the whole shuttle moved then yes they were moving parts 😂
Can’t wait for part 3, these have been so good
Slightly biased because aero>space, but episode 3 is my favourite episode
@@RealEngineeringwhat do you mean?
You CAN wait.
@@legitusername-zl7toHe slightly prefers flying vehicles to space vehicles.
@@martijn9568flying is definitely less boring than space travel but also less demanding on engineering.
The pictures of the three astronauts on an EVA capturing a satellite were always some of my all time favorites. I didn't know anything about the mission at all. I'm glad I got to hear about it in this video.
The only launch Ive ever attended, I was 14 and It was the STS-88 launch you mention... I had no idea at the time that it was the first mating of ISS components, but I do recall it feeling like an earthquake in Florida! What a beautiful beast she was!
As a child of the 80s (born 1978) this is the ship I grew up with and got to watch every 6 months or so on TV. Will forever hold a special place in my heart. It was a worthy heavy lift unit albeit a risky one and it's nice to see Starship coming through to pick up where it left off. I can only hope the 2020s will consist of Starship and the most reliable heavy lift we've ever seen.
Excellent series. This is the type of content RUclips SHOULD be promoting.
When was the last time you saw a video solely on cats?
@@JK_Clark What is your point? My point is RUclips should promote more science and educational videos instead of vapid garbage like SSSniperWolf.
And to answer your question, I watched this video a few months ago: ruclips.net/video/8ImtbHTX9gc/видео.html
I enjoy listening to this voice over, being Irish myself, but when focussed, trying to learn, and you hear the word ‘unbiblical’ my brain stalls. Great videos for the holidays, carry on being REAL,
Not gonna lie i wasnt sure what this video was about from the title, but learning about what goes on in the backround during space shuttle missions is interesting!
I'm am trying my best to not label these as episode 1,2,3 because that tends to result in some very poor performance, so the titling is a little goofy. The three episodes are launch, orbit, and reentry.
@@RealEngineering In that case, can you at least change the name in a couple of months, when there will be less engagement? "For the future"?
@@Venthe I will likely just post the entire 1 and half hour documentary this time next year as a single episode.
To Infinity and Beyond
Hell yeah
Just as the great philosopher Buzz Lightyear once said
@DontReadMyProfilekysPicture.273
No, no, no. I think you meant ''There's snakes in my boots''
@@Sargent-h2fnope he didn’t mean that
I learned so many new things about the space shuttle Orbiter from this episode, and also about that satellite mission, had no idea it was unplanned to have 3 astronauts on EVA, thats one of my favorite pics of the shuttle program! I wonder when we'll ever see more than 2 NASA astronauts on an EVA ever again, that's such a cool sight to see.
I'd love to see a series like this for the mercury, Gemini, and apollo rockets too
It's amazing to see how much human capable to do
In the early shutlle program, someone (I think it was David Brin), proposed not ejecting the main fuel tank until it was in orbit. By putting a hatch on it, you would have a large pressure tight enclosure ready for retrofitting into a space station. By attaching multiple tanks with cables and spinning them, a rotating wheel type station was possible. No idea if it was feasible.
if my simple understanding is up to par, even assuming that the fuel tank is a simple hollow cylinder, the propellants are kinda hazardous after all, sensors and scrubbing equipment required to make it safe for activities would add extra weight, which itself is already a very scarce commodity for space flights.
@@wytfish4855 Liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. The idea was to have an excess of oxygen. The followup mission would install a fuel cell to provide power. The fuel cell would combine hydrogen and oxygen to create water. The followup mission would also bring liquid nitrogen to combine with the oxygen to create air (79% nitrogen, 21% oxygen). The power from the fuel cell would be used to heat the nitrogen/oxygen mixture until it turned into gas. The remaining liquid oxygen and nitrogen would be stored in tanks strapped to the outside as reserve. The new tank design would have one end of the oxygen tank and external shell flanged for removal and installation of internal parts fllowed by an airlock module. The tanks would be tethered to each other and spun for gravity simulation. Spinning in Earth’s magnetic field would generate electricity long term. Orbital manuevering would be provided by electron guns. NASA took one look, realized they could make it work if they Apollo level support, decided it wasn’t worth the risk, and shelved the idea.
Another awesome installment! The quality and thoroughness your channel has achieved is inspiring!
12:58 Seeing the OMS engines’ plumes rendered so beautifully made me happy.
Wonderful series. I'm learning so much about the Shuttle.
Exactly as I’m binge watching your space videos since getting into Kerbal Space Program, this video gets out. Please keep making those they’re amazing !
I'm playing KSP2 with this in the background lol
wait until you can build your own shuttle
@@vkdaninja4735 I actually just built my first two hours ago lol
Everyday Astronaut has a lot of rockets and space related videos (he does more about the technical stuff like rocket engine cycles), give it a watch
@@ryndrssnAs an Everyday Astronaut fan, I agree
bruuuuuuuh I wish this video was out a month ago 😂 it could have helped me so much for my space engineering introduction class in university, dang.
Any chance you might do an episode on the Buran space shuttle? It’s honestly an engineering marvel imo
BEST CHANNEL ON RUclips! Love the graphics soo much
This was really informative and well narrated, apart from "umbiblicals" 😆
Ever since a child i've always thought how impressive it was to be runway landing a spacecraft! Yes spacex landing boosters and others now is so impressive it looks like sci-fi, it still doesnt take away from the awe that was the space shuttle.
I love these episodes. The space shuttle was what got me into aerospace, and this video taught me a lot about it. I am fortunate to have seen the Space Shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center!
To me, the most amazing thing is just how low the tolerance for failure is here. ANY mistake, anything at all, the smallest missed detail, and everyone dies. The fact that we have been able to successfully pull off all these launches is truly remarkable.
This is a wonderful documentary series. Thanks for taking the time to do such a great job.
Fake-ass NASA
Loving this series. Can't wait for the next episode. "How to land the space shuttle... from space" is one of my favourite videos on youtube so i would love to learn more about the engineering behind the landing
I like how the astronaut said: "so I floated up to the flight deck with them" as if it's a common thing humans do (17:02)
The "as Goddard Intended" pun was hilarious! Another great video! Cheers from Houston!
This is TOO COOL. i learned alot of things i had never heard. Your channel rules!
Im certain Brian is aware, but there's a technical mistake at 22:55:
a spacecraft with mass can't ever get to lightspeed *no matter* how much fuel it has, theoretically. It can get closer and closer to lightspeed, but never actually reach it.
This video here is just one amazing example of why to get Nebula. Also, going to the California ScienCenter, Cape Canaveral, and/or Smithsonian Air and Space museums will make this video real. Fantastic work, @realengineering! Amazing.
*Summary*
*Lauch and Initial Operations*
- *0:05** Space Shuttle Launch:* The Space Shuttle is launched, with its solid rocket boosters propelling it for the first 2 minutes before they fall back to Earth for reuse.
- *0:16** Orbiter's Main Engines:* The orbiter is powered by three main engines using liquid oxygen and hydrogen from the external tank.
- *0:27** External Tank Jettison:* After depleting its 700-tonne fuel, the external tank is jettisoned, marking the transition to weightlessness for the astronauts.
*Shuttle Capabilities and Systems*
- *0:54** Space Shuttle Functions:* The shuttle serves as a mobile laboratory and a space home, equipped for complex space tasks and providing a breathable atmosphere.
- *2:19** Hypergolic Fuels:* The orbiter uses hypergolic fuels (nitrogen tetroxide and monomethyl hydrazine), which ignite on contact but are toxic and require special handling.
- *2:54** Propellant Storage and Thrust Control:* The fuels are storable and provide reliable, precise thrust control, essential for space maneuvers.
- *2:12** Reaction Control System:* The orbiter has a reaction control system with 44 thrusters for precise movements and docking.
*In-Orbit Operations and Manual Controls*
- *6:49** Manual Landing Gear Deployment:* Due to the risk of cosmic rays affecting computers, the landing gear is deployed manually to prevent accidental deployment in space.
- *7:34** Mission Tasks Begin:* Once in orbit, astronauts start their tasks, including rendezvous with satellites and using various windows for observation and reusability.
- *10:29** Payload Bay and Life Support:* The shuttle's payload bay carries large spacecraft like the Hubble Telescope, and the temperature control system is vital for life support.
*Navigation, Docking, and EVA Preparations*
- *12:51** Orbital Maneuvering System:* For major orbital changes, the Orbiter uses a separate system with large rocket nozzles for additional velocity.
- *13:33** Navigation and Docking:* The orbiter uses star trackers for precise navigation and an androgynous docking system for universal compatibility with other spacecraft.
- *14:11** EVA Preparations:* Astronauts prepare for extravehicular activities (EVA) for missions like satellite repair or construction, using the airlock in the crew cabin.
*Space Station Construction and Satellite Capture*
- *15:09** Docking System:* The docking system forms an airtight connection between spacecraft, used extensively in the construction of the International Space Station.
- *15:17** International Space Station Construction:* The Space Shuttle played a key role in transporting and assembling the International Space Station, starting with the first modules in 1998.
- *15:45** EVA for Satellite Capture:* Astronauts performed an EVA (extravehicular activity) to manually capture a stranded satellite using a specially designed capture bar.
- *16:00** Challenges in Satellite Capture:* Multiple attempts to capture the satellite were unsuccessful due to it bouncing off the capture bar.
- *16:26** Satellite Capture Strategy:* After several failed attempts, a new strategy involving direct manual capture by astronauts was considered.
- *17:04** New Capture Plan:* The plan involved astronauts grabbing the satellite with their hands, exploiting the maneuverability and fuel efficiency of the Endeavor.
- *17:57** Utilizing EVA Suits:* The mission had three EVA suits onboard, leading to a new idea of sending three astronauts out to capture the satellite.
- *19:06** Airlock Capacity Issue:* The airlock was designed for only two people, posing a challenge for three astronauts in EVA suits.
- *20:02** Airlock Adjustment:* One astronaut had to use internal controls and be positioned upside down in the airlock to accommodate all three.
*Canadarm Operation and Challenges*
- *20:38** Canadarm Operation:* Bruce, a former Coast Guard helicopter pilot, operated the Canadarm due to his skill in controlling similar systems.
- *21:32** Canadarm's Design and Function:* The Canadarm, weighing just 430 kilograms, could move 30 tonnes in orbit but couldn't support its own weight on Earth.
- *22:00** Canadarm's Construction:* The arm had six joints and was made from low-weight materials, capable of precise movements in space.
- *23:04** Inertia Challenges in Space:* Despite its capabilities, the Canadarm had to be used delicately to prevent damage from inertia.
*Satellite Capture and Shuttle Maintenance*
- *23:28** Intelsat Capture Solution:* A capture bar with a grapple point was used to secure the Intelsat satellite for Canadarm's operation.
- *24:41** Successful Satellite Capture:* The satellite was successfully secured and equipped with a new second stage, extending its operational life.
- *24:47** Additional Mission Objectives:* STS 49 also had to test space shuttle building techniques, with time constraints due to the extended satellite capture operation.
- *25:05** Life Support Systems:* The shuttle used high-pressure oxygen and nitrogen tanks to create a breathable atmosphere, with CO2 scrubbed by lithium hydroxide canisters.
- *25:43** Shuttle's Power System:* Oxygen and hydrogen tanks fueled a cell that produced water and electricity, with excess hydrogen gas separated and vented.
*Re-entry Preparations and Challenges*
- *26:11** Payload Door Closure Issue:* The payload doors wouldn't latch due to thermal warping, requiring potential EVA intervention.
- *26:58** Solution to Door Warping:* The shuttle underwent a 'barbecue mode' rotation to equalize temperatures and successfully close the doors.
- *27:48** Preparing for Re-entry:* Preparations for re-entry involved closing payload doors and firing OMS engines to reduce orbital velocity.
- *28:03** Re-entry Process:* The shuttle re-entered the atmosphere at high speeds, creating charged plasma and extreme temperatures.
- *28:26** Engineering for Re-entry and Landing:* Innovative engineering combined aerospace and aviation technologies for the shuttle's re-entry and landing.
Disclaimer: I pasted the transcript as two separate segments into and GPT4 using ChatGPT Plus on 2023-12-25.
I really really love this look at the space shuttle. With all its faults, I still think the space shuttle is the coolest vehicle that humanity has ever built.
Fascinating look back at the Shuttle. No doubt a whole series of videos could be done on all the different missions. Just one minor correction - the arm is called Canadarm, not CanadaArm, as every Canadian knows ;).
Hey man, big fan. I love how you wrap scientific information in such a way as so the average person can understand it. You're one of my favorite channels man, keep it up.
Though I'm wondering where you get the information for the vast amount of topics your channel presents, sometimes on very specific things like the inner workings of a fighter jet or NASA equipment. I always thought information like this wasn't publicly available?
NASA stuff is easy. They make a lot public. For planes it's more difficult and I rely on my knowledge about planes and interviews with experts more often. One of the reasons we won't see an episode about the F-22. Simply not enough info available to make it worthwhile imo
@@RealEngineeringThank you
This is turning into one of my favorite series. Well done and thank you!
So awesome that you got to speak with one of the astronauts in person of the space shuttle. This was an exciting story I never heard before!
The amount of on the job adjustments that they had to do, even when they had planned for so much, astounds me. The fact that they got the adjustments done, speaks volumes about human ingenuity and resolve.
I love that "as Goddard intended" joke
At the risk of being _that_ guy, the two medium-size engines on the back are the Orbital Maneuvering System, which was separate from the RCS.
"As Goddard intended " I see what you did there
@norman_z Robert Goddard is considered by many as the American father of modern rocketry.
" As God intended"
These 2 parts imo are the best ive ever seen on this topic. In depth and technical. You should do one for the ISS or how the SLS builds on the lessons learnt from the shuttle.
13:20 "The missile knows where it is..."
Bah, beat me to it.
Love the job you do and all the details you bring to these videos. I feel like you're the only one on you tube I watch that the quality of the videos has stayed the same and not degraded with commercials. I have joined nebula just to support these videos. Keep up the great videos.
Early space exploration really was insane.
ikr too bad we are worried about cost and so many other things now
@@lol-em6bj well, back then we didn't care about safety as much as we do now, the amount of close calls and failures in early rocketry is insane.
@@thomaswijgerse723 yep
As someone who took Calc II from Tom Akers at UMR, I really loved this episode!
Oops! Shuttle animation is missing he vertical stabilizer between seconds :05-:14
The Shuttle was an absolute beautiful piece of engineering... I can't say more.
One of the Greatest Spacevehicles ever! Awesome explained!
it's just waste and senseless time, which humanity worked for; to represent the world, that no one can go out of this matrix!
Truth only makes it possible!
Freedom to all!
Also the most deadly and pointlessly expensive space vehicle ever made.
I like this clip so much it is very helpful to understand my love space shuttle. This is an insane video.
This is my first time being so early in a Real engineering video lol
Dude, very well done! I've actually watched 3 of your videos on the shuttle and they were all thoroughly enjoyable and educational. You actually have quite a gift. Unlike many others on RUclips your voice and way of delivering are pleasing enjoyable and engaging. Good job(s)! 👍😊
23:00 an ion drive cannot bring something theoretically to light speed. I’m sure you meant near light speed or to a significant fraction of light speed.
He did say “with enough fuel” - like an infinitely heavy amount of fuel?
:-)
One of the most fascinating scene, when the space shuttle prepare for landing without the engines. Truly marvelous
What an achievement for those people who worked on it. This is mind boggling. Thanks
23:00 um, NO rocket engine of ANY kind can get a rocket "to lightspeed". It's fundamentally impossible
He obviously meant just under the speed of light.
GTFO with your nitpick. Nobody's impressed. 🙄
The real engineering is the explosions we made along the way.
Edit: I can now see the confusion. No I am not referring to Challanger or Colombia. I was thinking more like, the hyperbolic fuels and chemistry stuff.
@@b43xoit Thank you
Fun fact. There has only been one married couple that has visited the space station. It was also a mission where the shuttle brought an extra room where suddenly the couple disappeared for an hour or 2. Assume with this what you will
Are you saying "umbiblicals"? It sounds like thats what you're saying. I noticed this on the last video too. Its "umbilical". Not a big deal. Just something I noticed. Fantastic set a videos so far. Im loving this shuttle stuff.
I still thinks it's nuts we don't have a real replacement for it. Such an invaluable piece of equipment. Such a thing to inspire pride. I still remember when we lost Columbia. And my dad was watching the tv at school when Challenger blew up.
SpaceX is trying. Falcon 9 and Heavy are doing the work that the Shuttle did. And the landings are continuing to inspire. But Starship should be closer to full capabilities of the Shuttle.
Well, they're doing some of the work the shuttle did. There's still missions we can't do that the shuttle was able to. Don't think we could easily attach a 2nd stage rocket to an existing satellite to extend it's life without the shuttle. I'm torn on outsourcing/subcontracting out that stuff to private, for profit companies. That's got to hurt NASA long term. Plus, I'm not confident at all of Starship from Space-X. Will make or break them, and then who's making rockets for NASA since they outsourced them? @@anthonypelchat
Unbiblicals 😂 love it
This channel constantly keeps me intrigued by all the applications of the engineering world, makes it a lot easy to stay with my studies. Great content!
"as Goddard intended"
This is so incredible. I get the impression you waited so long to cover the spaceshuttle because you wanted it to be in the best possible quality.
*Umbilicals (not "umbiblicals)
The amount of technological skill that went into that is just staggering
Unbiblicals? Sooo sweet 😂
Wrong
One of my favorite videos on this channel….in depth mission walkthroughs like this one was one hell of a good idea….
This video is mistitled.
The name of that craft is the Orbiter or Orbit. It's not called the Space Shuttle
Flat earth believers please chime in.
LOL! Nah they're in their home in their little cribs and playpens crying for more teet time ...
excellent series! I'm looking forward to part 3 - of all the crazy engineering that went into the Space Shuttle, coming back to earth (without becoming bits of ash floating in the atmostphere) is the most interesting.
Fabulous video, I can't wait for part 3.
This is an amazing video. Your best yet. And there have been some really great ones. It's so well produced, so well researched and so well presented. It's one of the best you tube videos I've ever seen. It shows your enthusiasm and knowledge for the subject.
Suburban dads on a summer weekend 🤝 Astronauts when the payload bay doors won't close due to thermal warping
*INITIATE BARBECUE MODE*
14:48 I see what you did there with the "As Goddard intended" hahaha
@norman_z a play on "as GOD intended" that people use
This is simply astonishing! Barbecue mode is just GENIUS!!!
Damn. I absolutely loved these two episodes. Just incredible stuff that I can’t get enough off.
*_love_* this channel, much thanks!
The insane physics of jump.
The insane effort of thrust.
The insane design of mass.
The insane grammar of bad.
Less than a minute in and there's already a problem. The Orbiter wasn't in orbit when the main engines shut down. It still needed one final push from the final stage: the two OMS engines mounted in pods on either side of the vertical stabilizer. If not for that, it would have reentered the atmosphere on the opposite side of the planet.
5 seconds in, and there's no vertical stabiliser to speak of, haha. Someone else mentioned it, and it looks like it's missing in the animation
@@MegaEmmanuel09HA! Holy cow!
this would be so fun o do. its badass what these men accomplished.. human ingenuity impresses my soul.
13:30 It's is impossible to identify location with sufficient accuracy just by looking at stars (excluding the Sun), even the best astronomical telescopes are not accurate enough, so a more local object is needed.
A lot of clever improvisation on the satellite repair mission.