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Author
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Topic: Pads 39A and 39B: Adequate distance apart?
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DC10LuxuryLiner
unregistered
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posted 07-06-2011 07:21 PM
 
This is a moot point now but I was watching a documentary about the 51-L mission and it was stated that had combustion materials at solid rocket booster ignition not sealed the field joint, the stack would have exploded on the pad. I know Pad 39A was vacant when 51-L launched, but this led me to wonder what would happen if the worse had indeed occurred with another shuttle on the adjacent pad. Are the pads far enough apart to prevent any damage from occurring to the other launch vehicle, and if not would the rotating service structure (RSS) protect the orbiter from flying debris? I know the ET and SRBs are exposed but the orbiter itself seems pretty well encased in a cocoon when the RSS is closed. |
Cozmosis22
Member Posts: 968
From: Texas * Earth
Registered: Apr 2011
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posted 07-06-2011 10:26 PM
Here's a view. Something like a good mile between pads. |
DC10LuxuryLiner
unregistered
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posted 07-06-2011 10:39 PM
Thank you, wow what a great perspective of not only the distance between the pads, but the distance to the VAB and viewing site as well. I keep forgetting that quite a bit of the ground level photography sometimes creates the illusion that the pads are much closer together than they actually are. |
Rusty B
Member Posts: 239
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Oct 2004
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posted 07-07-2011 12:57 AM
I believe that the Saturn IB pads A and B at Complex 37 were also too close together in the event of a launch pad explosion. |
PeterO
Member Posts: 399
From: North Carolina
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 07-07-2011 04:25 AM
quote:
Originally posted by DC10LuxuryLiner:
...but the distance to the VAB and viewing site as well.
Where is the viewing area with the large countdown clock located? |
Rick Mulheirn
Member Posts: 4167
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 07-07-2011 04:50 AM
The small grey rectangle just above and to the right of the VAB is the media car park. Immediately above that is the lagoon that accepts the External Tanks and just to the right of the car park you can just make out the small media buildings. At the lagoon edge on the patch of grass between those buildings and the lagoon itself is the location of the famed count down clock.I recall as a boy the explosive potential of the Saturn V was reported in the media as equivilent to a small atomic bomb. That being the case not enough consideration was given in my opinion to the proximity of Pads 39A and B. |
ilbasso
Member Posts: 1522
From: Greensboro, NC USA
Registered: Feb 2006
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posted 07-07-2011 08:15 AM
Interesting question. One of the biggest concerns at ignition is that the twin SRBs have to ignite within milliseconds of each other. I heard that being out of synch by even 0.1 seconds would be catastrophic. Then your mind plays with all kinds of scenarios. If an SRB broke loose from the mounting on the pad and some or all of it started flying off, how far would it get before the Range Safety Officer could blow it up? An "airburst" scenario at low altitude would also cause a lot of damage in the vicinity, as with the N-1 that exploded as it was lifting off and damaged another one on the pad. Regarding proximity to the VAB, I heard once that there was one scenario with Saturn V launches, that if a particular engine failed in the first couple seconds of flight (I'm guessing it was the one closest to the VAB), they would be unable to prevent the vehicle from damaging the VAB. |
PeterO
Member Posts: 399
From: North Carolina
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 07-07-2011 08:38 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Rick Mulheirn:
...at the lagoon edge on the patch of grass between those buildings and the lagoon itself is the location of the famed count down clock.
Thanks, Rick!
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moorouge
Member Posts: 2454
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 07-07-2011 01:31 PM
My thanks too Rick. I asked the same question a few months ago (STS-133) and never got an answer. |
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