bheil@scout-po.biz.uiowa.edu (06/06/91)
When flying the SpaceLab habitable module, where is the airlock located? Since they are looking at the seal and insulation that came loose on the payload bay doors how would they exit to the payload bay to close the doors manually if that became neccassary?
han@Apple.COM (Byron Han) (06/08/91)
In article <6369@ns-mx.uiowa.edu> bheil@scout-po.biz.uiowa.edu writes: >When flying the SpaceLab habitable module, where is the airlock located? Since >they are looking at the seal and insulation that came loose on the payload bay >doors how would they exit to the payload bay to close the doors manually if >that became neccassary? From the Space Shuttle Operators Handbook, the airlock is moved outside the cabin area and the tunnel is connected to it. I have heard that there is a problem when flying the SpaceLab lab module when closing the doors manually - the EVA crew cannot reenter the orbiter (cannot get past the SpaceLab module with the doors closed) because the door closing mechanism is at the aft end of the payload bay. They would presumably minimize activities, go EVA and close the doors, and IMMEDIATELY start reentry. -- Byron Han, CommToolbox Emir Our CEO makes more than yours... Apple Computer, Inc. -------------------------------------------- 20525 Mariani Ave, MS: 35CP Internet: han@apple.COM Cupertino, CA 95014 AppleLink: HAN1 HAN1@applelink.apple.COM Phone: 1.408.974.6450 CompuServe: 72167,1664
oliver@vf.jsc.nasa.gov (06/12/91)
In article <6369@ns-mx.uiowa.edu>, bheil@scout-po.biz.uiowa.edu writes: > When flying the SpaceLab habitable module, where is the airlock located? Since > they are looking at the seal and insulation that came loose on the payload bay > doors how would they exit to the payload bay to close the doors manually if > that became neccassary? > The airlock remains where it has always been, on the mid-deck. However the "B" hatch has been removed. This is the hatch which normally opens into the pay- load bay. For spacelab flights a tunnel adapter is installed which connects the Orbiter cabin with the spacelab module. Near the cabin is hatch "C" which opens up into the payload bay. Hatch "D" is located at the spacelab end of the tunnel, and is used to seal off the spacelab module in the event of a spacewalk or if the spacelab module has a pressurization problem. Should a spacewalk become necessary, the EVA crewmembers will enter the airlock as on a normal spacewalk closing the "A" hatch behind them. The "D" hatch will be closed to protect the spacelab environment. The crew then enters the payload bay using the "C" hatch. The "C" hatch is sometimes visable at the bottom of the picture when the cameras are showing a payload bay view. All four of the Orbiter airlock hatches are designed to seal with an atmosphere on one side and a vacuum on the other. Only the "D" hatch at the spacelab side of the tunnel adapter must be able to seal with the vacuum on either side of the hatch. -- Pat Oliver - Lockheed Engineering and Sciences Company at NASA JSC OLIVER@vf.jsc.nasa.gov