Brief Introduction of Space Shuttle Challenger
HMS Challenger
The second space shuttle officially used by the United States. At the initial stage of development, it was originally used as a high-fidelity structural experiment, so the original fuselage code was STA-099. However, after completing the initial test mission, Challenger was converted into a formal orbiter, so its code name was changed to OV-099, and it officially made its maiden voyage on April 4, 1983. Unfortunately, however, in the 10 space mission with the code name STS-5 1-L on October 28th, Challenger exploded and crashed 72 seconds after liftoff because an O-ring on the right solid rocket propulsion device failed. All seven astronauts on board were killed in the accident.
name
American space shuttles are all named after early research ships, so the origin of Challenger is no exception. HMS Challenger, a British naval research ship, sailed in the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean from 1870. In addition, the name "Challenger" was also used to name Apollo 17' s moon landing module.
work progress
STA-099
1July 26, 972-Contract signing
1975165438+1October 2 1- Start the structural assembly of the passenger compartment module.
June 1976 14- Start the assembly of the rear fuselage structure.
1March, 977 16-The wing was delivered from Grumman Company to Rockwell Factory in Palm Valley, California.
1September 30, 977 —— Start the final assembly.
1978 February 10- Final assembly completed
1978 February 14- Pulled out the shed factory in Palm Valley and officially unveiled it.
OV-099
1979 65438+1October 5-signing the contract
1979 65438+1October 28th-Start the structural assembly of the passenger compartment module.
1980165438+1October 3rd-start the final assembly.
198 1 year1year1October 23rd-final assembly completed.
1June 30th, 982-Pulled out the shed factory in Palm Valley and officially unveiled it.
65438+July 1, 0982- The space shuttle was transported from Palm Valley to Idaho by land.
1July 5, 982-airlifted to Kennedy Space Center (KSC).
1982 12 19- Prepare for flight ignition
1April 4, 983-First flight (STS-6)
Challenger research project
Although the space shuttle itself is a flying tool that needs to bear great external forces, it also needs to reduce its weight as much as possible, so almost every part of the whole fuselage bears great structural stress. However, considering the limited computer technology at that time, engineers were not sure that the performance of the space shuttle under mechanical and thermal loads could be calculated to a very accurate degree only through software simulation. In addition, the wing part of the challenger has also been improved and strengthened to a considerable extent. These reference data are all from the previous real machine test. Finally, after installing two heads-up displays (HUD) in the cockpit, the modification project of Challenger came to an end. The empty weight of the entire space shuttle is 70,552 kg, and after adding the main engine, it weighs 79,500 kg, which is about 1, 3 1 kg lighter than the space shuttle Columbia. Challenger's flight times: 10, circling the earth: 987 times, staying in space for 69 days.
STS Challenger (STS is the abbreviation of space transportation system, which is the official name of space capsule in the United States) is the second space capsule officially used by NASA. At the initial stage of development, it was originally used as a high-fidelity structural experiment, so the original fuselage code was STA-099. However, after completing the initial test mission, Challenger was converted into a formal orbiter, so its code name was changed to OV-099, and the mission was officially launched on April 4, 1983. Unfortunately, however, during the1October 28th Challenger's 10 space mission with the code name STS-5 1-L, an O-ring on the right solid rocket propulsion device (SRB) failed, which led to a series of chain reactions, including the capsule itself and the ship, 72 seconds after the launch.
When Challenger was completed and put into use in 1972, its main function was not to actually undertake the orbital transportation function between the earth and outer space, but the high-fidelity structural test object (NO. STA-099) was used to test the safety of fuselage structure in the early stage of American construction plan, manufactured by Rockwell Company,1delivered to Lockheed on February 4, 978) 42. The reason for this test is that although the capsule itself is a flying tool that needs to bear great external forces, it also needs to reduce its weight as much as possible, so almost every part of the whole fuselage bears great structural stress. However, considering the limited computer technology at that time, engineers were not sure that the performance of the space shuttle under mechanical load and thermal load could be calculated to a very accurate degree only through software simulation.
For the sake of safety, the only solution is to test and analyze the real space capsule, which is why Challenger was built. STA-099 has been tested and analyzed for 1 1 month on a 43-ton weight testing machine composed of 256 hydraulic jacks. These jacks can exert loads on 836 different parts. Under the control of the computer, it can realistically simulate all kinds of forces on the capsule during launch, climb, orbit, reentry and landing. Among them, the huge thrust of the main engine of the space shuttle is simulated by three hydraulic cylinders with a thrust of one million pounds (about 450 metric tons). In the $2.6 billion contract, Rockwell Company is responsible for manufacturing a pair of static test bodies (MPTA-098 for the main propeller and STA-099 for the structure) and two initial flight test aircrafts (OV-/KOOC-0/KOOC-0/and OV-/KOOC-0/02). However, in a resolution reached in 1978, it was decided not to convert the Enterprise capsule used for approach landing test (ALT) into a practical orbiter, leaving only Columbia as an orbiter that can really perform its mission. Therefore, in1979,65438+year129 October, NASA signed a supplementary contract with Rockwell Company to convert Challenger (numbered STA-099 at that time) from a test vehicle to a real orbital vehicle OV-099 capable of carrying out space missions. STA-099 was returned to the original manufacturer Rockwell on1979165438+1October 7, and the modification project started from now on. The project scale of refitting Challenger from test use to mission use is relatively simple, but Challenger can't escape the fate of disassembling and reassembling the whole frame. This is mainly because the original Challenger was equipped with a simulated cabin, so engineers had to dismantle the first half of the entire space capsule before they could take out the simulated cabin and put it into a truly functional cabin module. In addition, the wing part of the challenger has also been improved and strengthened to a considerable extent. These reference data are all from the previous real machine test.
Finally, after installing two heads-up displays (HUD) in the cockpit, the modification project of Challenger came to an end. The empty weight of the whole capsule is 155400 pounds (70552 kilograms), and the weight after adding the main engine is 175, 1 1 pound. HUD suddenly exploded and crashed during the tenth mission. In fact, Challenger and another space shuttle Discovery were modified by Kennedy Space Center, carrying the upper stage of Centauri in their pods. In order to cope with this, it is necessary to install additional pipes, ventilation pipes and flight platforms that can monitor the operation of the upper stage rocket in the space capsule to match the cryogenic (L02/LH2) propellant fuel of the Centaur rocket (most inertial upper stage rockets (IUS) use solid propellant fuel). However, NASA has never really carried out the task of carrying a centaur rocket in a space capsule. Since the explosion and crash of Challenger, the relevant authorities decided to stop this dangerous attempt. After all, it is too risky to put a rocket full of high explosive fuel in the preparation cabin.
Collapse process
1986 65438+1On October 28th, there was no cloud in Wan Li over Cape Canaveral. In the stands 6.4 kilometers away from the launch site, more than 1000 spectators, including 19 middle school students, gathered to watch the launch of the space shuttle and see off their beloved teacher mcauliffe. 1984, the space agency announced that it would invite a teacher to take part in space flight, and planned to teach two popular science courses about space and flight to primary and middle school students all over the country in space, and students could also ask mcauliffe questions through the special line. Mcauliffe was carefully selected from more than 1 1000 teachers. When the children saw the spectacular scene of the space shuttle carrying their teacher into space, they blew their horns and beat their drums with excitement.
The space shuttle challenger is rising steadily: after 7 seconds, the plane turns over; 16 seconds, with the fuselage back to the ground and the belly facing the sky to complete the angle transformation; At 24 seconds, the thrust of the main engine drops to 94% of the predetermined power; At 42 seconds, the main engine was reduced to 65% of the predetermined power as planned to avoid the disintegration of the space shuttle due to overheating of the shell when passing through the high-altitude turbulence zone. At this time, everything is normal, the speed has reached 677 meters per second and the height is 8000 meters. At 50 seconds, a trace of white smoke was found on the ground from the side of the solid booster on the right side of the space shuttle, which did not attract people's attention. At 52 seconds, the ground command center informed the commander Scobie to restore the engine to full speed. 59 seconds, altitude 10000 meters, the main engine has been working at full speed, and the booster has burned nearly 450 tons of solid fuel. At this time, the data displayed by the ground control center and the computer on the space shuttle have not been abnormal. At 65 seconds, Scobie reported to the ground that "the main engine has been increased" and "Understood, full speed ahead" was the last report word received by the ground monitoring and control center. In the 72nd second, at the altitude of 16600, the space shuttle suddenly flashed a bright light, the external fuel tank exploded in the air, the space shuttle was blown to pieces, the communication with the ground was suddenly interrupted, and the data on the screen of the monitoring center suddenly disappeared. The challenger became a fire. Two out-of-control solid booster rockets broke away from the fireball and flew forward in a V shape, which was in danger of falling into densely populated areas. Billinger is the official in charge of safety in the Space Center. He has a quick hand and a quick eye. At the100th second, they were detonated by a remote control device.
Challenger is wrecked! After the explosion, debris was scattered 30 kilometers southeast of the launch 1 hour, and the space shuttle with a value of10.2 billion dollars disappeared instantly, killing all seven crew members. The whole world was shocked by this, and leaders of various countries called to express their condolences. However, while people are grieving, their unremitting pursuit of science has not stopped. Gleason, who was killed in the crash of Apollo 4, once said a touching sentence: "If we die, we should treat it as an ordinary thing. We are engaged in an adventurous undertaking. In case of accidents, don't delay the progress of the plan. Conquering space is worth the risk. "
The cause of the accident was finally found out: the joint between the two parts of the booster was damaged, and the ejected gas burned through the shell of the booster and ignited the external fuel tank. After the fuel tank burst, liquid hydrogen burned and exploded violently in the air.
Accident victim
Let us always remember the names of the seven brave men who died for the cause of science on Challenger. They are: Captain: Francis Scobie, 46 years old; Pilot: michael smith, 40 years old, astronaut: Judian resnick (female), 36 years old; Ronald mcnair, 35 years old; Ellison Oni Tsuka, 39; Gregory jervis, 4 1 year; Teacher Christa mcauliffe (female), 37 years old.
Captain Francis Scobie used to be a fighter pilot of the US Air Force and later became a test pilot of advanced aircraft. He has been dealing with danger all his life. He is humorous and cheerful, and has become the core and soul of the whole unit.
The pilot's name is michael smith, and he served in the US Navy as a fighter pilot. He won many medals, including the Navy Super Flying Cross and the National Silver Star Cross for daring to fight.
Astronaut Judith Resnik likes to play the piano in her spare time and find beauty in music. Judith likes to smile, which is full of confidence in her career and life.
Ronald mcnair, an astronaut from southern California, honed his strong character through his work in cotton fields. He dreams of living in an outer space station and doing experiments in weightless space: playing saxophone.
Gregory Jarvis took part in this space trip with great hope. He brought a small flag as a souvenir from his alma mater, University of new york at Buffalo. He wants to take this flag to explore space.
Ellison Oni Tsuka (Oni Tsuka Cheng Er; Ellison Onizuka was born in Hawaii, and his ancestral home is Japanese. When he was a child, he always ran around barefoot in the coffee fields and the cemetery of Macdamia. He has always dreamed of traveling to the moon one day. After becoming a pilot, he is ambitious to make great achievements.
Christa McAuliffe was born in Boston, USA, and teaches at Concord Middle School in New Hampshire. She is a famous sociology teacher, married and has a son and a daughter. According to the plan, she will teach two space classes to more than 2.5 million primary and secondary school students in the United States and Canada through television in space, and will also participate in many scientific performances on the space shuttle, and show them to students after the video, becoming the first "space teacher" in the world.
After the astronauts were killed, President Reagan made many speeches to commemorate these outstanding "challengers".