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okan170 — Shuttle-C in Orbit (for SFI)
#launch #nasa #spacestation #althistory #shuttlec #spaceshuttles
Published: 2017-08-02 16:55:22 +0000 UTC; Views: 4240; Favourites: 78; Downloads: 58
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Description
After ascent, the cargo carrier of the Shuttle-C opens its payload bay doors to expose its cargo of space station modules to space. The vehicle would've been controlled by an Orbital Transfer Vehicle (a small space tug) which would've moved it to the naiscent space station where the arm would retrieve the cargo and modules.Illustration for:
www.spaceflightinsider.com/spa…
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Comments: 5
Abandoned concept? Look like cargo only, but it would have been difficult to maneuvr it around - the connecting of two craft in space is by my sources pretty difficult.
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Once in-space, there would be a control unit in the nose, and it had a simpler version of the Orbiter thrusters. In some versions this was recoverable and reusable. Other versions had the control provided by the Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle (OMV) which was a small space tug to be carried in the Shuttle cargo bay. Its job was to go out to other orbits with its onboard fuel, and then bring satellites to the Shuttle for servicing. Then it would return them to their orbits and go back to the Shuttle to get taken back to Earth and reused later. The OMV was to do this also for Space Station Freedom- even at one point being set to bring Hubble to the Station for repairs and upgrades!
With the Shuttle-C, the OMV would sit in the nose, rendezvous with the station and have the vehicle hold position nearby for the arm to grab the cargo, or berth it to a cargo port (like we do with cargo on the ISS today) for unloading. After it was empty, the OMV would be transferred to the Shuttle for return to Earth while the mostly-empty shell would be disposed of in the atmosphere.
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very nice - and the Shuttle-C was alas a missed opportunity
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