jdeitch@umiami.ir.miami.edu (Jonathan Deitch) (04/11/91)
I have an interesting question : I noticed in the shuttle status posting for April 10 that a tornado was spotted just north of the launch pads. Would a shuttle on the launch pad be able to withstand a tornado without too much damage. I would expect damage from flying objects like trees, bushes, etc. but would the ship itself and the launch tower be able to withstand the winds without falling ? - Jonathan ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Internet : jdeitch@umiami.miami.edu | "Good musicians execute ------------------------------------------------- | their music but bad ones "I'm a Time Lord. I walk in eternity !" - Dr Who | murder it !!! "
henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) (04/11/91)
In article <1991Apr10.213011.8851@umiami.ir.miami.edu> jdeitch@umiami.ir.miami.edu (Jonathan Deitch) writes: >... Would a shuttle on the launch pad be able >to withstand a tornado without too much damage... Probably. The pad structure, nowadays, pretty completely encloses the orbiter, so the question is how the pad hardware would stand up to it. Such structures tend to be built for worst-case weather. -- And the bean-counter replied, | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology "beans are more important". | henry@zoo.toronto.edu utzoo!henry
bernhold@red8 (David E. Bernholdt) (04/12/91)
In article <1991Apr11.161508.29856@zoo.toronto.edu> henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) writes: >In article <1991Apr10.213011.8851@umiami.ir.miami.edu> jdeitch@umiami.ir.miami.edu (Jonathan Deitch) writes: >>... Would a shuttle on the launch pad be able >>to withstand a tornado without too much damage... > >Probably. The pad structure, nowadays, pretty completely encloses the >orbiter, so the question is how the pad hardware would stand up to it. >Such structures tend to be built for worst-case weather. But one of the design constraints on the MLP transporter is that it had to be able to bring the whole setup back to the VAB quickly enough to avoid hurricanes or other severe weather, right? I'd guess that hurricanes and tornados would have similar effects on the pad/shuttle (aside from duration and advance warning), and they felt it necessary to protect the system from hurricanes... On the other hand, although Gainesville is a good distance from KSC, my experience is that tornados are pretty rare. Perhaps more so than hurricanes? Certainly less common than when I lived in Chicago. (Tornados, that is -- Chicago didn't get many hurricanes ;-) Just thinking out loud, as it were... -- David Bernholdt bernhold@qtp.ufl.edu Quantum Theory Project bernhold@ufpine.bitnet University of Florida Gainesville, FL 32611 904/392 6365
shortley@CompSci.Bristol.AC.UK (Martyn Shortley) (04/12/91)
From article <27967@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU>, by bernhold@red8 (David E. Bernholdt): > In article <1991Apr11.161508.29856@zoo.toronto.edu> henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) writes: >>In article <1991Apr10.213011.8851@umiami.ir.miami.edu> jdeitch@umiami.ir.miami.edu (Jonathan Deitch) writes: >>>... Would a shuttle on the launch pad be able >>>to withstand a tornado without too much damage... >> >>Probably. The pad structure, nowadays, pretty completely encloses the >>orbiter, so the question is how the pad hardware would stand up to it. >>Such structures tend to be built for worst-case weather. > > But one of the design constraints on the MLP transporter is that it > had to be able to bring the whole setup back to the VAB quickly enough > to avoid hurricanes or other severe weather, right? > > I'd guess that hurricanes and tornados would have similar effects on > the pad/shuttle (aside from duration and advance warning), and they > felt it necessary to protect the system from hurricanes... > When I came over to the US last year, there were 2 or 3 big storms over Florida and the Shuttle that was on the pad was sent back to the VAB. It was in the VAB for a couple of days whilst the storms passed, even though the conditions at KSC weren't too bad. During this time a work colleague & I both visited KSC (on different days) & neither of us saw a shuttle on the launch pad :-(. The day after, the shuttle was taken back to the pad ! Regards, Martyn Shortley +---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------+ | Contract Programmer | JANET shortley@uk.ac.bristol.compsci | | 19 Hampton Park | ARPANET shortley@compsci.bristol.ac.uk | | Redland | BITNET shortley%uk.ac.bris.cs@ukacrl.bitnet | | BRISTOL | UUCP ... !mcvax!ukc!csisles!shortley | | Avon, UK BS6 6LG +-----------------------------------------------+ | (+44) [0] 272 - 745034 | A closed mouth gathers no foot. | +---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------+
dbm@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov (Brad Mears) (04/12/91)
In article <27967@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU>, bernhold@red8 (David E. Bernholdt) writes: |> In article <1991Apr11.161508.29856@zoo.toronto.edu> henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) writes: |> >In article <1991Apr10.213011.8851@umiami.ir.miami.edu> jdeitch@umiami.ir.miami.edu (Jonathan Deitch) writes: |> >>... Would a shuttle on the launch pad be able |> >>to withstand a tornado without too much damage... |> > |> >Probably. The pad structure, nowadays, pretty completely encloses the |> >orbiter, so the question is how the pad hardware would stand up to it. |> >Such structures tend to be built for worst-case weather. |> |> But one of the design constraints on the MLP transporter is that it |> had to be able to bring the whole setup back to the VAB quickly enough |> to avoid hurricanes or other severe weather, right? IMHO - No, a shuttle on the pad would be severely damaged (destroyed) by a tornado that got anywhere close to it. The weather shroud is not sufficient to protect against tornado-force winds. While it is correct that the MLP can move the vehicle in time to avoid a hurricane, there is no way that it can evade a tornado. This is my first posting, so please excuse any irregularities or glaring errors. Brad Mears dbm@deltahp.jsc.nasa.gov