Since there was only one response to my earlier post...
here's a video of the STS-3 landing..correct me if I'm wrong but
doesn't the landing gear get deployed 19 seconds before touchdown?
Counting from the moment the gear doors open to touchdown, it's only 7
seconds...then the nose almost is rotated down but then comes up
again.. WTF??
http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/features/000414overhaul/sts03_qt.html
seems like this was a "close call"
> Since there was only one response to my earlier post...
> here's a video of the STS-3 landing..correct me if I'm wrong but
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/features/000414overhaul/sts03_qt.html
> seems like this was a "close call"
They had to increase Columbia's approach and landing speeds
due to the elevation at White Sands. There may have been
some stiff winds at White Sands on landing day too. There
had been a sand storm the previous day. The landing gear
were deployed at 270 knots and locked down two seconds
before touchdown.
The rotation problem was pilot error, aggrevated by the high
touchdown velocity. According to:
"http://members.aol.com/WSNTWOYOU/STS3MR.HTM"
"During nose gear slapdown, the vehicle pitched up to around
6 degrees after having been down to -3 degrees pitch. This occurred
because the pilot was preventing premature nosewheel contact.
Subsequent analysis has shown the vehicle responded essentially
as analysis predicted and as seen on the Ames simulator, both prior
to and after the mission, in which nearly identical responses
occurred."
- Ed Kyle
Joe D. - 24 Feb 2006 06:12 GMT
> ....
> The rotation problem was pilot error, aggrevated by the high
> touchdown velocity. ..
I recollect analysis showing the nose gear touchdown rate was close
to the design limits. Does anybody else remember that?
-- Joe D.
Tim K. - 26 Feb 2006 15:01 GMT
> "During nose gear slapdown, the vehicle pitched up to around
> 6 degrees after having been down to -3 degrees pitch. This occurred
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> - Ed Kyle
That was a bit scary - how close (if at all) does anyone reckon they were to
having it get away from them there?