Launchpad: Firing the Space Shuttle Main Engines

henik9 Says:

Mar 25, 2010 - Sounds like a horrible idea. Why use old technology that's been around for 40+ years when you could research newer/faster/cheaper ways of getting to orbit?

checkplus Says:

Aug 23, 2010 - There's a lot to be said for reliability. Sure, it's always a good idea to research other ways of getting up there, but the newer idea isn't always the best.

mickeypopa Says:

Aug 23, 2010 - @checkplusYeah, safety comes first, innovation second.It's not like there's an unlimited supply of astronauts xD

IgnisInCaelum Says:

Aug 23, 2010 - @mickeypopa: There's still something to be said for giving the ones we do have chances to do useful things before they're too *old* to.

djsparkyful Says:

Aug 25, 2010 - I'm not a rocket scientist and would like to know how the engines burn hot enough to melt iron according to the video, but still remain useable, also I was under the belief that Hydrogen and Oxygen produce water, are these liquids being burned seperately? if not what is stopping them from becoming water? How does this work? A layman's explanation would be appreciated.

sbrafk Says:

Aug 26, 2010 - There are alloys out there (such as nickel based ones) that can resist stress at tremendous temperatures. I'm not sure exactly what the engines are made of.Hydrogen comes from a separate tank, injected (think cars with fuel and air), mixed with liquid O2, reacts, steam comes out of the nozzle producing thrust.

lievenaw Says:

Aug 26, 2010 - "rockets are just controled explosions" say that to the challenger

Boy75402 Says:

Aug 31, 2010 - It's true for all rockets.The difference is that once structural failure of the Challenger tank occurred, the explosion went from controlled (useful), to uncontrolled (deadly).

Boy75402 Says:

Aug 31, 2010 - If you look at the engine bell, you'll see these pipes running along it. Fuel is channeled through those pipes in their way to the ignition chamber, carrying away some heat with it, and cooling the engine bell.

Boy75402 Says:

Aug 31, 2010 - It's true that combining oxygen and hydrogen create water, but it also makes a lot of heat. So the water (steam) expands, creating thrust.

sulijoo Says:

Aug 31, 2010 - When I was at school a bunch of us would go down a local park at lunchtime and create hydrogen explosions. We'd add some aluminium foil to some caustic soda, collect the resulting hydrogen gas in a plastic bag attached to it...then light it! Boom.

Au197 Says:

Dec 12, 2010 - the hydrogen and oxygen ARE making water at tremendous temperatures. Thus, it comes out as super high pressure steam. It's a STEAM ROCKET. Talk about "steam punk". The combustion chamber and bell are cooled by regenerative cooling. Super cold liquid fuel is forced through channels in the walls and then flows to the injector plate. The fuel is heated and this helps with the burning. If this flow stopped for a instant the engine would melt.

kinsley2108 Says:

Oct 2, 2011 - She's hot.

letsgetverydrunk Says:

Dec 4, 2011 - the space shuttle is AMAZING! there is so much scientists and engineers had (and have) to take into account, it's a miracle it exists!!! makes me proud and want to do my best for humanity :D

TheLightningStalker Says:

Jan 5, 2012 - The background in the beginning of the video is a shuttle breaking up.

SunriseHealthFoods Says:

Mar 19, 2012 - ditto

jumil111 Says:

Mar 20, 2012 - If the shuttles engines use 3917 liter pr second and the tank is 550 000 liters, so that means that this yellow tank helps to fly only 140,4 seconds, it's just almost two and half minutes. But it looks longer, much longer. Or I do not understand something...

SIFLINT1 Says:

Mar 25, 2012 - i wanna have her babies .... an im a bloke lol

supermpe Says:

Apr 13, 2012 - SHE looks like shit, i read all "oh she is hot" comments and wonder, how many years have passed since the last time you fucked?????

daveallalone Says:

Apr 24, 2012 - why would you even say something so nasty about this person - what kind of person does that make YOU ?

supermpe Says:

Apr 25, 2012 - because im 87% bastard

wmansue Says:

May 9, 2012 - Hey, how many real human Mechanical and Aerospace Engineers laugh at the stupid Space Shuttle propulsion design. Why bolt ancient Von Braun junk on the tail end when the 2 Morton Thiokol Boosters made sufficient thrust to get the SS into orbit? Well, if you want to blow up the shuttle you need a bomb__and the X-ternal tank was "Da Bomb". So, no SSMEs, no X-ternal Bomb, Columbia and Challenger would have returned with the crew alive! ManSue.com! Think!

grungehack Says:

May 11, 2012 - Seriously? I would think they don't use them because they use uncontrollable solid fuel. The SSME uses liquid fuel which is able to be controlled The shuttle has to throttle down as it gets to max-q or it would rip everything apart.

jaygadayosjr Says:

May 14, 2012 - shes hot when her mouth open...