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markkarvon — Orbit Achieved
Published: 2011-01-10 02:31:35 +0000 UTC; Views: 10714; Favourites: 262; Downloads: 380
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Description
Having spent all its fuel to propel the space shuttle to orbit, the main fuel tank is jettisoned. The tank is destined for a fiery end as it loses altitude and incinerates in the Earth's atmosphere usually over the Pacific Ocean. The shuttle continues on to final orbit. This print shows the Space Shuttle Atlantis as she reaches orbit around the Earth - "Orbit Achieved".This piece was commissioned by a client who preferred a more traditional 3/4 frontal view of the shuttle.
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Comments: 86
I'm delighted you did this piece mate especially in light of the fact that the Shuttle's life is drawing to a close..
Gorgeous in its deceptive simplicity and wonderful composition. You have nailed it perfectly.
BRAVO!
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Thanks MArk. I was a little dissappointed the client passed on my earlier Space Shuttle piece but this one will work better for his purposes.
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Did he pass up on THIS one?? [link]
If he did then he's insane!!!
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Yes he did. I thought for sure it was going to be a home run. That particular client generally likes to stick with a 3/4 frontal view. Over the years I have tried to sneak in some more interesting perspectives but they usually get shot down.
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They never cease to amaze do they??
Its his loss for sure!
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i had no idea that the auxiliary fuel tank was designed to be disintegrated in the atmosphere. i thought it was like the booster rockets to be retrieved and reused like the shuttle. like always SWEET. whats your next project if you dont mind me asking?
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Thanks. Another sub piece is in the works.
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Amazing piece of art, as usual from you sir!
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Thank you very much.
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Excellent work. Gonna miss these old birds when they retire.
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Thank you. Yes, I am sad to see them go.
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this is a great picture, but when I look at space in the back ground, I say,"So that is what is looks like." but when I really see it, its just blackness, and for some reason it scares me
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If you think about it, the entirety of our entire human existence is on a very tiny spec of dust careening through a giant universe that we cannot comprehende full of the most deadly perils ever known. Giant black holes capapble of swallowing our planet whole. Deadly gamma ray bursts that can anihilate the entire human race from light years away. We should take better care of our planet. There is no other place to go if this planet is ruined.
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i like the way u think. and i totally agree with you. but with the amount of damage thats already been done on our fragile planet, and the work that is trying to be done to help it, i dont think its enough.
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wow.
man, I've said "wow" in different ways to all of ur pictures, mark! usually thats hard to get out of me!
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Just imagine... if they held those fuel tanks just a bit longer, they could have a collection of them in orbit, and convert them into a MASSIVE space station, much larger than the ISS, and a HELL of a lot cheaper, and more productive...
It's been proposed in the past, but, nobody seems interested...
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It would take alot of work to make those tanks habitable.
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True... but a lot less work than building, and delivering habitation modules. Plus, it would be a lot cheaper, with the benefit of a larger area for both habitation, as well as experimentation. As far as that goes, it's been proposed (years ago) that a special liner could even be used inside of them that would not only make the fuel take part of it's function safer, but easier to eject (along with any frozen residuals... use the temperature of space itself for that process) and make for a clean environment once the tank is converted, and placed in orbit. Again... cheaper, and larger, plus due to the actual construction, and hull thickness of the tanks, more structurally sound... win-win. Or so it's been proposed in the past. Of course, with our government dismantling the Space Shuttle program, it's sort of a moot point any more. Our country complains that there is a lack of jobs, and to solve it, they will close down over 100,000 jobs by shutting down huge chunks of our space program... it seems, the politicians think the money is spent "in space" and not right here on Earth. (I've seen a few homeless that wouldn't be homeless if we had the space program of even just the 80s... and it's kind of a slap to the face, every time they hear "we have problems like poverty, and homelessness here on Earth we need to solve before we start spending money in space!" Sorry for being political... I used to work in Aerospace... jobless currently... bit bitter is all...)
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Actually, I've read a bit into this later on, and I think it's impossible. The External Tank is drained down to emptying the pipelines, hardly a drop of LOX or LH2 are left at MECO, and the shuttle isn't even in orbit then, but reaches orbit only after an OMS burn after MECO.
Maybe it could bring the ET to a low orbit, but placing it at an orbit high enough so that it's orbit doesn't decay too much from microdragging (~300 km or so) would take more than the OMS propellant the shuttle has. That's my assumption, anyways, simply because the ET would make the shuttle 25% heavier, which would decrease OMS performance. All this would still probably be possible if the Shuttle didn't have to carry cargo up, but even after placing the ET in orbit, you need to renovate the inside with lighting fixtures, and an entire ECLSS system, not to mention getting it up to par with safety standards for a living station.
I'm not entirely against the idea, but I don't think either of us really know enough about it. I think it's certainly worth a shot at studying, it it wasn't for the fact the shuttles are retiring...
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Hmmmm... something to research... I've been told in the past that it would have been easy to do (by astronauts, and not the actual engineers) so it is worth looking at, if for nothing else, but a curiosity level. But then, I was always hopeful that they would have implemented Von Braun's ideas from the old Disney educational films, of the simple shells, being built around inflatable space rings, creating larger spaces in a space station.
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Ooooh yeah, I agree 200%.
In fact, I even started a petition [link] It's a bit pitiful right now, but it's just started and needs to work up signatures. Maybe it'll be ready in 5 years 
Never heard of making ET's into habitat modules before. It's always bothered me how they're just wasted like they are. They certainly have enough insulation and pressurization to be manned!
Lets see... Add radiators, an access hatch for each LH2 and LOX section, that's extra mass, means a lower mass ratio, probably wouldn't be able to take much else up to orbit in the cargo bay, except the ECLSS to be installed into the ET with an EVA or two.
I really wish NASA would've been more open to neat ideas like this. I guess the future of mankind just isn't worth 000.41% of their spending, though, and they've got to make it less and retire the shuttle.
Reminds me of a comic in the paper I saw, this dad and grandpa were looking at the Shuttle in a museum,
"Man, I remember back when we used to go to the ISS..."
"Yeah, I remember when we used to go back to the moon."
It's really sad how mankind has made these giant leaps forward in our progress as a species, but being shortsighted and selfish, we've taken steps back.
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That is the majority of my lament... part of this country's pride was in our Space Exploration... and it's being stripped from us.
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Fixed the link. There was a . at the end. [link]
I don't mean to advertise, but I feel rather strongly about this, and I see you do, too.
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Your client got his money's worth! Very nice view indeed.
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Thank you very much.
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