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Author
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Topic: Solo space shuttle mission feasibility
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ASCAN1984
Member Posts: 1049
From: County Down, Nothern Ireland
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 09-24-2014 04:32 PM
   
Could a space shuttle mission have been crewed by just one person. e.g. a space radar flight? |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 09-24-2014 05:09 PM
For the most part, the space shuttle could be flown entirely from the ground without the need for even a single crew member. There were only a few commands that had to be initiated from on board the orbiter, such as deploying the landing gear, which on flights towards the end of the program could be done remotely with the installation of a cable).But that just accounts for the orbiter launching, orbiting and landing. Most, if not all of the missions that the space shuttle was launched to do required a multi-person crew to complete. |
Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3445
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 09-24-2014 05:13 PM
I think it might have been the Rockwell Enterprise "blueprint" which envisioned the shuttle as being flown with two career astronauts and three payload specialists. |
sts205cdr
Member Posts: 649
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Jun 2001
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posted 09-24-2014 06:58 PM
Having flown many (admittedly simplified) shuttle missions at Space Camp, a solo flier would be hard pressed to pull it off, and would get worn out very quickly. There are just too many port, starboard, and overhead panels to get to for launch, orbit insertion, re-entry preps, etc. You could fly the stick from the PLT seat to be there to arm and drop the landing gear but, seconds before touchdown, that distraction would be insanely dangerous. |
David C
Member Posts: 1015
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012
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posted 09-25-2014 01:44 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
For the most part, the space shuttle could be flown entirely from the ground...
The important thing is whether or not the remaining critical tasks could be performed at the required time, in the required sequence by a single crew-member, together with how tolerant the system would be of a missed step. Perhaps Jerry Ross could be persuaded to comment on this? And that's without considering contingency operations.I imagine that the OP's question is more about how easily and quickly the required modifications could be made, and how great a risk would have been involved. I suspect the answer in practice would be no. Next question, why constrain yourself to launching one when you can launch two? quote:
Originally posted by sts205cdr:
that distraction would be insanely dangerous.
Nonsense. Any pilot worth their salt would just integrate it into their scan and cockpit management (JFDI). Particularly since the OP seems to imply that this is not a contingency scenario so the pilot would have trained for the solo mission. How do you think X-15 and lifting body pilots coped on more demanding profiles? Which is not to say that it would be desirable. There would be some increased workload and risk, but "insanely dangerous", don't be so dramatic. |
Jim Behling
Member Posts: 1463
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: Mar 2010
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posted 09-25-2014 08:08 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
There were only a few commands that had to be initiated from on board the orbiter, such as deploying the landing gear...
Opening payload bay doors was manual, so was APU start. |
ASCAN1984
Member Posts: 1049
From: County Down, Nothern Ireland
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 09-27-2014 05:28 PM
Very interesting thank you very much, if I may what if a crew member with no real flight experience had to come back to Earth solo, e.g. last surviving crew member, what would happen? |
David C
Member Posts: 1015
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012
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posted 09-28-2014 05:40 PM
Hard to imagine how that scenario could ever arise. But to play "what if", I'd suggest it's similar to the "all the pilots are dead" in a modern airliner game, but harder. It would depend initially if they can use the radio (probably yes as a trained crew-member) and what consumables remained (propellent, oxygen, hydrogen etc). You'd want to use the highest possible level of automation.A trained crew member could be talked round RMS stowage, door closing, configuring switches to uplink data for automated deorbit and entry, and APU start. In principle I believe the Orbiter was still outfitted for full autoland at the end of it's service life although hands off to touchdown was never used as it was "too critical" to test. I'm sure a crew member could be coached round dropping the gear, popping the chute (maybe) and applying gentle braking. De-rotation could be tricky though, and crosswinds best avoided. As with all these things the real problems start when things aren't working right. All but one crew member dead with a fully serviceable Orbiter seems unlikely. You really need to ask an astronaut this one. Have you read the Shuttle Crew Operations Manual (SCOM)? Fascinating stuff. Other opinions? |
Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3445
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 09-28-2014 10:59 PM
If it were just one crew member left, barring anything else that astronaut would probably be tasked with throwing switches that couldn't be handled from the ground. But even if the person had flown the STA, even as a MS (such as McCandless or Garan, both of whom were PLTs), they would probably be tasked to "babysit" the oribter until it was headed to an unpopulated area, then asked to bailout (post-Challenger.)Most likely, though, a sole-surviving astronaut on a shuttle would be directed to remain on board for rescue by another shuttle. Or perhaps, asked to try and re-dock with ISS or at least get close by for a rescue by Soyuz. | |
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