Development of the Space Shuttle, 1972-1981 Vol. II

by Heppenheimer, T. A.

• ISBN13: 9781588340092
• ISBN10: 1588340090
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-05-07
• Publisher: Smithsonian Books

Summary

Basing his work on virtually untapped NASA archives, T. A. Heppenheimer has produced the second volume of his definitive history of the space shuttle. Volume Two traces the development of the shuttle through a decade of engineering setbacks and breakthroughs, program-management challenges, and political strategizing, culminating in the first launch in April 1981. The focus is on the engineering challengespropulsion, thermal protection, electronics, onboard systemsand the author covers in depth the alternative vehicles developed by the U.S. Air Force and European countries. The first launch entailed a monumental amount of planning and preparation that Heppenheimer explains in detail.

Author Biography

T. A. Heppenheimer is the author of seven books including The Space Shuttle Decision, 1965-1972: History of the Space Shuttle, Volume 1 (Smithsonian Books, 2002) and Countdown: A History of the Space Program (1995). He is a freelance writer and has written cover stories for many magazines, including American Heritage, Popular Science, and Science Digest.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	xi
List of Tables	xv
Acknowledgments	xvii
Prologue	xix
Abbreviations and Acronyms	xxiii
Launching the Program	1	(42)
NASA Fights for Its Budget	2	(10)
Congress and the General Accounting Office	12	(9)
Trimming the Weight, Farming Out the Work	21	(12)
Managing the Program	33	(10)
The Expanding World of the Shuttle	43	(42)
Europe's Background in Space	44	(5)
Europe and the Shuttle	49	(8)
Spacelab, Ariane, and ESA	57	(8)
The External Tank	65	(5)
The Solid Rocket Boosters	70	(8)
The Air Force and the Shuttle	78	(7)
Odyssey of the Enterprise	85	(40)
The Shuttle Orbiter as a Glider	85	(7)
Choosing the Carrier Aircraft	92	(3)
Construction, Roll-Out, Prelude to Flight	95	(11)
First Flights	106	(5)
The Shuttle Takes Wing	111	(11)
The Odyssey Continues	122	(3)
Propulsion I: The Space Shuttle Main Engine	125	(48)
Starting the Project	131	(6)
Starting the Engine	137	(3)
The Fuel Turbopump	140	(4)
The Oxygen Turbopump and Fuel Turbine Blades	144	(10)
The Need for Testing	154	(11)
Preludes to Flight	165	(8)
Propulsion II: SRB, ET, OMS, RCS, APU	173	(36)
The Solid Rocket Booster	173	(10)
Development and Test: The View from Thiokol	183	(7)
The External Tank	190	(8)
Storable Propellants and On-Orbit Maneuvering	198	(5)
Auxiliary Power Units	203	(6)
Thermal Protection	209	(36)
Early Developments	209	(7)
Protecting the Shuttle	216	(8)
Test and Development	224	(8)
The Shuttle Comes Unglued	232	(13)
The Orbiting Airplane	245	(42)
Aerodynamics and Structures	245	(10)
Fuel Cells for Power	255	(5)
Environmental Control and Life Support	260	(9)
Auxiliaries: Landing Gear, Remote Manipulator, Space Suits	269	(9)
Safety and the Shuttle	278	(9)
The Electronic Shuttle	287	(36)
Defining the Requirements	287	(2)
The On-Board Computers	289	(8)
Software	297	(9)
Avionics	306	(7)
The Launch Processing System	313	(10)
The Program Struggles	323	(48)
Schedule, Performance, and Cost	323	(7)
Shuttle Upper Stages	330	(7)
Budget and Management	337	(9)
Carter and the Shuttle	346	(11)
The Space Telescope	357	(5)
A Tale of Two Cities	362	(9)
Preparation for Flight	371	(38)
Kennedy Space Center	373	(7)
Defining the Missions	380	(7)
Astronauts for the Shuttle	387	(9)
In to the Countdown	396	(13)
Coda: The Working Shuttle	409	(12)
Notes	421	(24)
Bibliography	445	(26)
Books, Reports, and Papers	445	(6)
Books, Reports, and Papers, by Source	451	(6)
Periodical Literature, by Date	457	(14)
Index	471