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>> The space shuttle normally orbited with it's payload bay, opposite of the landing gear facing Earth That wasn't a choice. The doors had to remain open and
by sandworm101 4y ago
>> The space shuttle normally orbited with it's payload bay, opposite of the landing gear facing Earth
That wasn't a choice. The doors had to remain open and pointing away from the earth so that the radiators could properly dissipate heat. It also, in theory, kept the most important thermal tiles pointing away from incoming space rocks.
- addingnumbers 4y ago> The doors had to remain open and pointing away from the earth It's the opposite. The orbiter usually kept it doors pointed toward Earth and the "bottom" tiles pointed away from Earth, and orbited with its engines pointed prograde. (Upside-down and backward relative to the atmospheric flight people are familiar with) https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/12321/why-did-the-space-shuttle-fly-upside-down-normally https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/12321/why-did-the-...