The Shuttle Flame Trenches From Above

8 responses to “The Shuttle Flame Trenches From Above”

1. 

   jurvetson

   Apr 17, 2012 at 4:42 am

   and underneath the ML-2, with flame trenches and more water pipes
   

   And here is the water pumping system on the left (and liquid hydrogen storage tank on the right (on the opposite side of the pad from the liquid oxygen tank, as hydrogen and oxygen are the two fuels loaded into the central orange tank of the Shuttle):
   
   The water pipe breaks into five parallel pipes, each with the largest available water pump at the time.

   The water towers store 300,000 gallons (1.1 Megalitres) of water, which is released just before engine ignition. The water discharged onto the launch platform during lift-off muffles the intense sound waves produced by the Shuttle engines. Due to heating of the water, a large quantity of steam is produced during launch.

   and here’s a frame from the NASA video of it in action for STS-134
   

   Next photo page from the Pad 39A tour.

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2. 

   scleroplex

   Apr 17, 2012 at 6:14 pm

   i get it now. thanks!!

   Reply
3. 

   bike-R

   Apr 17, 2012 at 8:28 pm

   Was there for the first STS-1 launch and without the water supress system that sucka is LOUD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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4. 

   wandering glove

   Apr 19, 2012 at 5:50 am

   Amazing

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5. 

   WF&DT

   Apr 22, 2012 at 9:40 pm

   How much of the piping and structure on the MLP must be replaced after each launch and the subsequent exposure to the effects of the SRBs and SMEs? I bet NASA uses a lot of grey paint.

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6. 

   jurvetson

   Apr 28, 2012 at 11:35 pm

   Not sure. But here is a nice video capturing the sound of a Discovery launch.

   They do have helpful signs on the LOX tanks… =)

   

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7. 

   spacecraftengr

   May 26, 2012 at 9:59 am

   bike-R: STS-1 DID have a sound suppression [it’s not a "water suppression system" but a sound suppression system that utilizes water] system. It’s a system not designed to please a spectator’s hearing but rather reduce the damaging effects of sound upon the flight vehicle and ground systems. However, due to the impact and effects of those sound waves upon OV-102, Columbia’s aft structure from the SRB ignition impulse, the sound suppression system was beefed up, post STS-1 mission. One of the most noticeable and effective changes was to put water troughs under the SRBs, within the exhaust holes in the MLP. That and the rest of the changes made a distinct difference in dissipating the audio energy involved and the damaging effects from STS-1 were never again incurred.

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8. 

   spacecraftengr

   May 26, 2012 at 10:04 am

   As an STS launch ops engineer, I was not needed on console for my first direct launch support at the Cape, so was able to view STS-5 from the LCC outside stairwell. I had grown up watching and listening to the Saturn V launches on television and was always fascinated by the "crackling" effects that got through the mikes to the speakers. I was not prepared to hear such a sound from a shuttle launch! hough delayed, the sound hit me with that same exact crackling, but very intense and felt inside my chest. Very surprising was the accompanying heat wave that swept us! BP

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