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July 27, 2005
Shuttle Decisions. . .
Yesterday's launch of the Shuttle Discovery was the most heavily monitored launch yet. The Columbia tragedy confirmed yet again that Space Exploration is a dangerous task, and every launch has the potential for disaster.
Hundreds of cameras were trained on every inch of the orbiter, external fuel tanks and solid rocket boosters that make up the launch vechicle, and as with the Columbia, pieces of the components that make up the launch system flaked off under the rigors of launch.
It's yet to be discovered whether the pieces that fell off did any damage to the Discovery. NASA is currently analyzing the film of the launch and preparing to implement inspection, evaluation and if necessary, repair procedures they have been practicing for months.
The orbiter will be scrutinized by spy satellites which have been retasked to examine the heat shield of tiles that protect the orbiter upon re-entry, and a new 50-foot extension to the Canadian robot arm will be called into service to take pictures of the entire surface of the shuttle. Spacewalks will follow for further close up inspection if anomolies are detected and patches may be applied if warranted.
The Shuttle Atlantis is also being prepped for launch if it becomes apparent that the Shuttle Astronauts and ISS crew cannot repair the Discovery to engineers standards, the Atlantis could serve as a taxi for the Discovery astronauts, or may ferry additional replacement parts to the ISS for outfitting on the Discovery.
All of this leads one to serveral alternate scenarios that may dramatically effect the way NASA operates in the low earth orbit that is the realm of the ISS and Shuttle orbiters.
There's no need at this point to begin calling for a grounding of the Shuttle fleet again, there are other options that may actually improve the safety of the entire orbiter fleet, reduce the cost of accessing Earth orbit and also expand our overall presence in space.
The shuttle was designed to ferry cargo and Astronauts into low Earth orbit. The technology in the Shuttle is quite old, regardless if it is in fact the cutting edge of space exploration, it is on it's way out. The shuttle is due to be replaced by the Crew Exploration Vechicle being developed by NASA and private entities are designing new craft that are promising to open up small scale access to space. The newest generations of heavy lift rockets like the Delta and Progress are more efficient lifting engines for cargo and new systems like DART will make connecting with the ISS and Shuttle in orbit much easier.
Now is the time to consider a radical change in the way we manage traffic to and from orbit and operate in space. Perhaps it's time we considered keeping an orbiter docked with the ISS and rotate it out once another is ready to take it's place. This would open up all sorts of possibilities. Most directly, having a tugboat in permanent orbit could prove very handy for satellite retrieval and resupply in orbit. Wayward satellites, or those in need of changing out film canisters or power supplies or even major repairs, could be captured with the shuttle, brought to the ISS and parked while repair, replenishment or adjustment was made by Astronauts. After repairs are made, the orbiter could then insert the satellites back into orbit. We've practiced captures and retrievals before with great success, saving the taxpayers significant amounts of money and adding to the lifespan of decaying satellites. Currently, many of our satellites have limited lifespans that are the result of consumables on board rather than simply the life of the powersupply, replenishing these satellites may be much more efficient than sending up new ones.
Beginning to more effecively manage our assets in space is a great step forward for NASA, it also provides valuable experience for construction techniques and maintenance protocols while in orbit. This is a step we need to take and this may be just the unplanned event that turns from handicap to windfall quickly.
Such a redesign of the Shuttle's role in orbital operations would need to be accompanied by a ramping up of the construction timeline of the ISS. Keeping an orbiter at the ISS would require also stationing a crew on board to pilot the shuttle and act as mechanics and spacewalkers during operations. New habitation modules would need to be sent up sooner than currently planned, but using lower cost rockets to send up the modules could provide the extra budgetary dollars to fund a more rapid timeline.
The change in role would also be a much needed shot in the arm to our partners in the ISS and space exploration in general. While the ISS and shuttle's missions are being redefined, Russia, the ESA and even the Brazilians could step up to the plate and offer access through their respective rocket fleets, increasing their footprint in orbit and pumping dollars into national space programs for continued development.
The move would spur development in the private entities that are beginning to eplore the possibilites offered by developing spaceplanes and new rocket designs promising to reduce the cost and frequency of access. The day could be just around the corner where private carriers begin ferrying crew members into orbit to rendezvous with the shuttle that could then transport personnel to the ISS or other destinations. We don't want to make the shuttle a bus, but option may be too good to resist in the short term.
There would be new problems to overcome, for sure. Fuel for the orbiter itself would be among the first issues. The three main engines of the orbiter would probably not have to be fueled, but the "retro" rockets that the orbiter uses to move about while in orbit would certainly have to be replenished. Mechanisms for recharging fuel cells would have to be developed, and resupply of the shuttles consumables would need to be handled by unmanned resupply missions.
There may also be issues with keeping the orbiter in space for extended periods. The extreme conditions may produce unknown effects on it's systems over time. Hopefully this would could be offset by mothballing certain systems and the development of a program of maintence for the orbiters while they are parked in orbit.
All in all, this is just idle speculation, most probably, the Discovery is just fine and will be able to return as scheduled safely to Earth. However, NASA has planned for the shuttle to remain parked while options with the Atlantis are explored; I'm just suggesting we take it one step further and plan on leaving it orbit to increase our ability to manage our assets in space, move the scope and scale of habitable space forward and incorporate our favorite little space tug into our plans to return to the Moon and venture beyond.
If there's anything that space exploration has shown is the tremendous ability of our NASA engineers and Astronauts to make the most out of the situation and adapt to safety and operational concerns when they arise. Setbacks in our program of manned and unmanned space flight will continue to occur, no matter how much money we pour into new designs and how much time we spend planning for every possible scenario. Pushing the envelope is a dangerous task, it's important to not allow the envelope to push back. We must turn every disappointment into a learning experience and develop every possibility to move our program forward.
The American space program is a source of national pride, but it's more than that, it's the inevitable future of our species to one day live among the stars. Space exploration and development promises a source of unlimited energy and an almost inexhaustable supply of mineral resources. Mars and the Moon are waiting for us, and it's time we begin to make expansion of footprint in space a priority.
Developing the CEV and other vechicles should remain a priority given the aging condition of the shuttles, and I don't recommend we divert resources from these programs to re-task the shuttle. The opportunity is there to re-think the shuttles role, and it's possible that in this case we can take what many consider to be a lemon and make lemonade.
--Jason
Posted by JasonColeman at July 27, 2005 2:04 AM
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