What are the 'lights' inside Shuttle main engines at landing?
$begingroup$
I have a night-landing photo of the Shuttle showing lights (I assume some type of glow-plug to burn off extraneous fuel). My understanding is that only the OMS engines burn to begin reentry.
Can anyone confirm what it is that I'm seeing?
spacecraft space-shuttle engines
asked 2 hours ago
BStoneBStone
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add a comment |
$begingroup$
I have a night-landing photo of the Shuttle showing lights (I assume some type of glow-plug to burn off extraneous fuel). My understanding is that only the OMS engines burn to begin reentry.
Can anyone confirm what it is that I'm seeing?
spacecraft space-shuttle engines
asked 2 hours ago
BStoneBStone
211
New contributor
BStone is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-eye_effect ;-)
$endgroup$
– uhoh
22 mins ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I have a night-landing photo of the Shuttle showing lights (I assume some type of glow-plug to burn off extraneous fuel). My understanding is that only the OMS engines burn to begin reentry.
Can anyone confirm what it is that I'm seeing?
spacecraft space-shuttle engines
asked 2 hours ago
BStoneBStone
211
New contributor
BStone is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
$endgroup$
I have a night-landing photo of the Shuttle showing lights (I assume some type of glow-plug to burn off extraneous fuel). My understanding is that only the OMS engines burn to begin reentry.
Can anyone confirm what it is that I'm seeing?
spacecraft space-shuttle engines
spacecraft space-shuttle engines
asked 2 hours ago
BStoneBStone
211
New contributor
BStone is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 2 hours ago
BStoneBStone
211
New contributor
BStone is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 2 hours ago
BStoneBStone
211
New contributor
BStone is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 2 hours ago
BStoneBStone
211
asked 2 hours ago
BStoneBStone
211
211
New contributor
BStone is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
BStone is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
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Check out our Code of Conduct.
$begingroup$
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-eye_effect ;-)
$endgroup$
– uhoh
22 mins ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-eye_effect ;-)
$endgroup$
– uhoh
22 mins ago
$begingroup$
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-eye_effect ;-)
$endgroup$
– uhoh
22 mins ago
$begingroup$
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-eye_effect ;-)
$endgroup$
– uhoh
22 mins ago
add a comment |
1 Answer
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$begingroup$
It's simply a reflection from the spotlights illuminating the ship, and shining up the bore of the engines. Notice the shadows of the vertical stabilizer from the same source.
When the shuttle landing direction is determined, URS Corp. air
traffic controllers in the runway control tower will communicate with
Bordeaux and his team on the ground. Then two of the operators will
light up eight Xenon lights, four on each side of one end of the
runway, to illuminate the touchdown and rollout area from behind the
shuttle.
(emphasis mine)
You can see that the gaps between the inboard and outboard elevons, and the square element at the base of the vertical stabilizer, are also brightly illuminated by the lights.
The SSMEs were not ignited in any way for entry, and any excessive propellant was dumped long before, shortly after Main Engine Cutoff (on launch day). In fact, during entry, the main propulsion system propellant lines are completely inerted and pressurized with helium. (source, p. 139)
You can read about the runway lights here (which is the source of the quote and the image).
And here's a picture looking the other way, showing the lights.
Additionally, here's a picture I took of the inside of an SSME in the engine shop at KSC on May 7, 2008. One can see the same silvery disc of the injector surrounded by the coppery combustion chamber in the picture in the question.
answered 2 hours ago
Organic MarbleOrganic Marble
54.6k3145233
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
nasa.gov/returntoflight/system/system_SSME.html it can look similarly even without the directed spotlighting, there's a definite reddish hue there.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
16 mins ago
$begingroup$
@uhoh thanks for that comment, I edited in a picture I took of the innards of an SSME in response.
$endgroup$
– Organic Marble
9 secs ago
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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1 Answer
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$begingroup$
It's simply a reflection from the spotlights illuminating the ship, and shining up the bore of the engines. Notice the shadows of the vertical stabilizer from the same source.
When the shuttle landing direction is determined, URS Corp. air
traffic controllers in the runway control tower will communicate with
Bordeaux and his team on the ground. Then two of the operators will
light up eight Xenon lights, four on each side of one end of the
runway, to illuminate the touchdown and rollout area from behind the
shuttle.
(emphasis mine)
You can see that the gaps between the inboard and outboard elevons, and the square element at the base of the vertical stabilizer, are also brightly illuminated by the lights.
The SSMEs were not ignited in any way for entry, and any excessive propellant was dumped long before, shortly after Main Engine Cutoff (on launch day). In fact, during entry, the main propulsion system propellant lines are completely inerted and pressurized with helium. (source, p. 139)
You can read about the runway lights here (which is the source of the quote and the image).
And here's a picture looking the other way, showing the lights.
Additionally, here's a picture I took of the inside of an SSME in the engine shop at KSC on May 7, 2008. One can see the same silvery disc of the injector surrounded by the coppery combustion chamber in the picture in the question.
answered 2 hours ago
Organic MarbleOrganic Marble
54.6k3145233
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
nasa.gov/returntoflight/system/system_SSME.html it can look similarly even without the directed spotlighting, there's a definite reddish hue there.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
16 mins ago
$begingroup$
@uhoh thanks for that comment, I edited in a picture I took of the innards of an SSME in response.
$endgroup$
– Organic Marble
9 secs ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
It's simply a reflection from the spotlights illuminating the ship, and shining up the bore of the engines. Notice the shadows of the vertical stabilizer from the same source.
When the shuttle landing direction is determined, URS Corp. air
traffic controllers in the runway control tower will communicate with
Bordeaux and his team on the ground. Then two of the operators will
light up eight Xenon lights, four on each side of one end of the
runway, to illuminate the touchdown and rollout area from behind the
shuttle.
(emphasis mine)
You can see that the gaps between the inboard and outboard elevons, and the square element at the base of the vertical stabilizer, are also brightly illuminated by the lights.
The SSMEs were not ignited in any way for entry, and any excessive propellant was dumped long before, shortly after Main Engine Cutoff (on launch day). In fact, during entry, the main propulsion system propellant lines are completely inerted and pressurized with helium. (source, p. 139)
You can read about the runway lights here (which is the source of the quote and the image).
And here's a picture looking the other way, showing the lights.
Additionally, here's a picture I took of the inside of an SSME in the engine shop at KSC on May 7, 2008. One can see the same silvery disc of the injector surrounded by the coppery combustion chamber in the picture in the question.
answered 2 hours ago
Organic MarbleOrganic Marble
54.6k3145233
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
nasa.gov/returntoflight/system/system_SSME.html it can look similarly even without the directed spotlighting, there's a definite reddish hue there.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
16 mins ago
$begingroup$
@uhoh thanks for that comment, I edited in a picture I took of the innards of an SSME in response.
$endgroup$
– Organic Marble
9 secs ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
It's simply a reflection from the spotlights illuminating the ship, and shining up the bore of the engines. Notice the shadows of the vertical stabilizer from the same source.
When the shuttle landing direction is determined, URS Corp. air
traffic controllers in the runway control tower will communicate with
Bordeaux and his team on the ground. Then two of the operators will
light up eight Xenon lights, four on each side of one end of the
runway, to illuminate the touchdown and rollout area from behind the
shuttle.
(emphasis mine)
You can see that the gaps between the inboard and outboard elevons, and the square element at the base of the vertical stabilizer, are also brightly illuminated by the lights.
The SSMEs were not ignited in any way for entry, and any excessive propellant was dumped long before, shortly after Main Engine Cutoff (on launch day). In fact, during entry, the main propulsion system propellant lines are completely inerted and pressurized with helium. (source, p. 139)
You can read about the runway lights here (which is the source of the quote and the image).
And here's a picture looking the other way, showing the lights.
Additionally, here's a picture I took of the inside of an SSME in the engine shop at KSC on May 7, 2008. One can see the same silvery disc of the injector surrounded by the coppery combustion chamber in the picture in the question.
answered 2 hours ago
Organic MarbleOrganic Marble
54.6k3145233
$endgroup$
It's simply a reflection from the spotlights illuminating the ship, and shining up the bore of the engines. Notice the shadows of the vertical stabilizer from the same source.
When the shuttle landing direction is determined, URS Corp. air
traffic controllers in the runway control tower will communicate with
Bordeaux and his team on the ground. Then two of the operators will
light up eight Xenon lights, four on each side of one end of the
runway, to illuminate the touchdown and rollout area from behind the
shuttle.
(emphasis mine)
You can see that the gaps between the inboard and outboard elevons, and the square element at the base of the vertical stabilizer, are also brightly illuminated by the lights.
The SSMEs were not ignited in any way for entry, and any excessive propellant was dumped long before, shortly after Main Engine Cutoff (on launch day). In fact, during entry, the main propulsion system propellant lines are completely inerted and pressurized with helium. (source, p. 139)
You can read about the runway lights here (which is the source of the quote and the image).
And here's a picture looking the other way, showing the lights.
Additionally, here's a picture I took of the inside of an SSME in the engine shop at KSC on May 7, 2008. One can see the same silvery disc of the injector surrounded by the coppery combustion chamber in the picture in the question.
answered 2 hours ago
Organic MarbleOrganic Marble
54.6k3145233
edited 46 secs ago
answered 2 hours ago
Organic MarbleOrganic Marble
54.6k3145233
answered 2 hours ago
Organic MarbleOrganic Marble
54.6k3145233
answered 2 hours ago
Organic MarbleOrganic Marble
54.6k3145233
54.6k3145233
$begingroup$
nasa.gov/returntoflight/system/system_SSME.html it can look similarly even without the directed spotlighting, there's a definite reddish hue there.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
16 mins ago
$begingroup$
@uhoh thanks for that comment, I edited in a picture I took of the innards of an SSME in response.
$endgroup$
– Organic Marble
9 secs ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
nasa.gov/returntoflight/system/system_SSME.html it can look similarly even without the directed spotlighting, there's a definite reddish hue there.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
16 mins ago
$begingroup$
@uhoh thanks for that comment, I edited in a picture I took of the innards of an SSME in response.
$endgroup$
– Organic Marble
9 secs ago
$begingroup$
nasa.gov/returntoflight/system/system_SSME.html it can look similarly even without the directed spotlighting, there's a definite reddish hue there.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
16 mins ago
$begingroup$
nasa.gov/returntoflight/system/system_SSME.html it can look similarly even without the directed spotlighting, there's a definite reddish hue there.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
16 mins ago
$begingroup$
@uhoh thanks for that comment, I edited in a picture I took of the innards of an SSME in response.
$endgroup$
– Organic Marble
9 secs ago
$begingroup$
@uhoh thanks for that comment, I edited in a picture I took of the innards of an SSME in response.
$endgroup$
– Organic Marble
9 secs ago
add a comment |
BStone is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
BStone is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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$begingroup$
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-eye_effect ;-)
$endgroup$
– uhoh
22 mins ago