3 ms·
The shuttle isn't going straight upward at separation. It's actually going mostly eastward, so when the boosters separate they retain most of their speed, and
by lotharbot 15y ago
The shuttle isn't going straight upward at separation. It's actually going mostly eastward, so when the boosters separate they retain most of their speed, and even regain a bit as they drop through the ultra-thin upper atmosphere.
You're right about the rest -- a decrease to terminal velocity and then a big decrease as the chutes take effect.
See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_shuttle#Launch http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_shuttle#Launch
- tstegart 15y agoBut there wasn't a big decrease when the chutes deployed. It took a while. I found that odd. I expected an immediate decrease in speed the second the chutes deployed. Maybe the counter wasn't synched with the video?
- lotharbot 15y ago> "there wasn't a big decrease when the chutes deployed. It took a while." They take some time to completely expand. They're actually deployed in a constricted ("reefed") configuration, and then after several seconds they're allowed to fully open. They're also trying to slow down a large piece of metal -- the booster rockets are about 150 feet long and weigh about 200,000 pounds (empty weight) each. The chutes produce a lot of force, but they're pulling on a lot of mass too (acceleration = force/mass.) See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Solid_Rocket_Booster#Descent_and_recovery http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Solid_Rocket_Boos...