What are the payload doors?
The payload bay doors are designed around the payload requirements that call for an envelope 4.6 meters (1 5 feet) in diameter and 18.3 meters (60 feet) long. The doors provide the aerodynamic fairing required for the mid fuselage and the complete environmental envelope for the payload bay.
What is the payload bay on a space shuttle?
The payload bay comprised most of the orbiter vehicle’s fuselage, and provided the cargo-carrying space for the Space Shuttle’s payloads. It was 18 m (60 ft) long and 4.6 m (15 ft) wide, and could accommodate cylindrical payloads up to 4.6 m (15 ft) in diameter.
What is a shuttle payload?
The cargo/payload weighed up to 29,000 kg (65,000 pounds), depending on the desired orbital inclination. The Orbiter payload bay doors, which were constructed of graphite epoxy composite material, were 18.3 m (60 ft) in length and 4.5 m (15 ft) in diameter and rotated through an angle of 175 degrees.
Where are the payload doors located?
In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, one of space shuttle Atlantis’ payload bay doors is opened by the yellow strongbacks attached.
What does a payload do?
Payload Capacity: How Much Your Truck Can Carry Your truck’s payload capacity refers to all the cargo weight that you can safely add in addition to your truck’s empty weight (also known as curb weight). A “payload” could be anything from a truck bed full of garden mulch to five passengers and a week’s worth of luggage.
Why the shuttle’s payload bay doors must be opened soon after achieving orbit?
The payload bay doors are opened shortly after orbit is achieved to allow exposure of the environmental control and life support system radiators for heat rejection of the orbiter’s systems.
What does a payload specialist do?
an astronaut trained to handle highly complex or classified equipment carried aboard a space shuttle and to conduct experiments in space. a specialist in transporting cargo.