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Hacker News front pageEAA6 min readintermediate

Landing the Space Shuttle – A Flying Machine and the Thrill of a Lifetime

Read on eaa.orgHN 40·9 comments

Summary

A former NASA astronaut recounts the dead-stick landing of the Space Shuttle Atlantis from Mach 1 and 50,000 feet, a high-stakes maneuver with no go-around option. Extensive training, including 1,700 simulator approaches in a modified Gulfstream G-II, was crucial for mastering the shuttle's unique flight characteristics.

  • Shuttle landings were dead-stick descents from Mach 1 and 50,000 feet, with no go-around option.
  • Key training involved 1,000+ approaches in a modified Gulfstream G-II that mimicked shuttle performance.
  • The shuttle's glide path was a curved, high-energy descent, losing 12,000 feet per 90-degree turn.
  • Its lift-to-drag ratio was only 4.5:1 on final approach, making it a "flying brick."

Engineers interested in aerospace, complex systems, and human factors in high-stakes environments will appreciate this detailed first-hand account of a unique engineering challenge.

7/10
trainingaerospaceaviationhuman factorsengineeringspace exploration

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