Space Team Online QuestChat

Date: November 12, 1998

Featuring: Ric Adams
Project Engineer
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, FL

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 0 - 09:24:31 ]
Hello to our early arriving Space Team Online chat participants! Today's Space Team Online chat with Ric Adams from NASA Kennedy Space Center will begin at 10:00 a.m., Pacific Standard Time. Be sure you have read Ric's autobiography at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/team/adams.html before joining this chat.

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 1 - 09:26:09 ]
Once the chat begins, Ric will attempt to answer as many of your questions as he can, but please be patient. The chat will be "moderated" until we are ready to begin at 10:00 a.m. We may use moderation during the chat " if Ric falls behind with our questions. This means that only a few questions will be posted to the chat room at a time. Don't worry if your questions do not appear on your screen immediately. They will be posted as Ric answers those ahead of you.

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 2 - 09:26:38 ]
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[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 3 - 09:27:03 ]
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[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 18 - 10:05:55 ]
RE: [MrsMock-Mrs.Mock/MontessoriSchoolofCorona] Hello Oran and Ric. My 4th and 5th grade computer students have questions prepared for you. Thank you for chatting with us today.
Welcome back, Mrs. Mock. We're always glad to hear from you and your classes online.

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 24 - 10:09:09 ]
RE: [Stefan-StefanS/FIS] Hallo, my name is Stefan Smith and I have just joined this chat from Frankfurt, Germany.
Welcome, Stefan. Ric Adams is online to answer our questions today.

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 10 - 09:59:56 ]
Hello and welcome to today's Space Team Online chat with Ric Adams from NASA Kennedy Space Center! Ric is involved in inspecting the space shuttle for any minor damage before, during, and after a mission. He uses a tool called the Automated Window Inspection Device (AWID) during shuttle flow operations. The AWID allows Ric to inspect the orbiter windows for micrometeorite impact damage caused during a previous launch, orbital operations or re-entry. Ric also uses laser shearography in his work. Laser shearography helps him identify any unusual movement in objects or structures from far away.

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 11 - 10:01:08 ]
And now, here is Ric Adams to answer your questions.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 9 - 09:59:54 ]
There is somebody out there. Hope I can be of some assistance. This is a fascinating thing to me.

[ JamesHunt/DBNSouthAfrica-JamesHunt/DBNSouthAfrica - 14 - 10:04:06 ]
Hi there Ric, James here, please could you tell me a bit about what you do when the shuttle lands at KSC

[ RicAdams/KSC - 20 - 10:07:06 ]
(14) Hi James I have a passive role during landing, primarily as a spectator. My specialty is development work, I design new instruments for use during shuttle operations. The first four Shuttle launches I was on the runway during launch and landing with an instrument called the Hydrazine Cart. I was an operator at that time. Now I design these instruments.

[MrsSouthwood/DavisTownsendElementary-Mrs.Southwood/DavisTownsendElementary - 15 - 10:04:47 ]
Is space trash the cause of a lot of damage to the shuttle's windshield?

[ RicAdams/KSC - 25 - 10:09:18 ]
(15) Space Trash is part of the problem. During liftoff and ascent particles in the atmosphere impact the window and cause paroblems. When the separation motors for the SRB's fire they hit the windows and do some damage. Space junk in orbit causes some probmes and galactic or solar system particles cause the most serious damage

[ RicAdams/KSC - 29 - 10:12:42 ]
(21) Shuttle build cycle is not an area where I have a lot of recent experience. I work specific problems, usually at the request of others, so I would not hazard a guess. I know it is on the pad for about a month before launch, and that it is stacked with the boosters and external tank in the VAB in around one month, and that it is in the OPF to unload old payloads and install new ones for some time before it is transferred to the VAB

[ RicAdams/KSC - 31 - 10:15:45 ]
(26) Shuttle windows are about half to 3/4 of a square meter in area. There are three of them each about the same size. We polish only the outer thermal pane that is about 3/4 inch thick and weighs about 60 pounds. It costs about $100K to replace if it is damaged.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 35 - 10:17:07 ]
RE: [Kimber-Mrs.Mock/MontessoriSchoolofCorona] Do you have any kids?
I have two stepdaughters, one which passed away from Cancer in 1990 and one living close to us now. I have a daughter with my current wife and she is 17 and alive on the net.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 36 - 10:19:08 ]
RE: [MsEverhart-Ms.Everhart/NorthwestElementarySchool] How long does it take to inspect before a mission? How many people are involved?
Most of the work is inspected as it goes on. There are a few last minute inspections during the final launch countdown. The Ice team inspects for Ice buildup around cryogenic fittings and on the ET insulation. This is to prevent ice buildup that might come loose during launch and hit flight hardware

[ RicAdams/KSC - 37 - 10:20:57 ]
RE: [MrsSouthwood/DavisTownsendElementary] Why is the main fuel tank on the space shuttle painted bright orange?
The ET used to be painted white for the first four launches. After that someone realized they could save a lot of money and weight (600 pounds) by not painting it. currently it is the color of the insulating foam that covers it (about three inches thick, six inches at extremes).

[ RicAdams/KSC - 38 - 10:24:13 ]
RE: [Lauren] How many classes did it take to get to your position?
I have a Bachelors degree in electronic engineering. That took about 80 classes, since there were a lot of electives early since I didn't know what I wanted to do for a living. I tried to get a Masters three times and that was about 18 (6 each time) then I got into a lockstep Masters program (12 more classes)and finally finished. I constantly attend classes where they are of interest during work, so I never stop learning.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 43 - 10:26:26 ]
RE: [Shyniece] Did you ever want to become an astronaut? Is being in space anything like scuba diving?
I was never really interested in becoming an astronaut, since that was not available to anyone except fighter pilots while I was growing up, and I was never really interested in flying anything but unmanned vehicles until I joined the Shuttle world. I have a great deal of respect for those that do and have personally shaken hands with John Young and Robert Crippen, the first two who flew Shuttle.

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 44 - 10:28:23 ]
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[ RicAdams/KSC - 45 - 10:28:33 ]
RE: [cochran/sub] what's the longest amount of time you have ever delayed a mission because of problems?
What I remember was STS-35 and STS-38, delsyed for six months by back to back problems with Hydrogen leakage from the 17 inch Orbiter / ET umbilical disconnect area. I was personally involved in looking directly for both those leaks. I traveled to marshall and Downey CA with portable Mass Spectormeter to provide support for those tests

[ RicAdams/KSC - 46 - 10:31:43 ]
RE: [MissCraver/NorthwestElementarySchool] What is the speed of the space shuttle at take off? Does the speed decrease after it is in orbit?
Speed is zero at liftoff, it risis quite quickly to better than Mach one when the SRB's are let loose. It is going about 17500 miles per hour (statuet miles) when it reaches orbit and jettisons the external tank (30 feet in dia, 160 feet long. That is an awseome opertion if you ever get close to these pieces of hardware anf realize how big they are (15 feet in dia, 160 feet long). My brother packed parachutes for the boosters.

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 47 - 10:31:53 ]
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[ RicAdams/KSC - 52 - 10:34:10 ]
RE: [Kimber] Do you have any pets?
We have a dog named Sam who is a real pest but we all love him. We have a Conure (little blue headed parrot) that talks and can carry on a conversation over the telephone. My wife was going through a closet in the kitchen and he asked her "What are you doing ?" all on his own. He thinks about what is going on and is constantly trying to "sweet-talk" his way out of his cage for the day.

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 53 - 10:36:26 ]
Thank you for joining us today, Cochran. Be sure to check our STO chat archives at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/chats/ to see answers to your questions from today's chat with Ric Adams.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 54 - 10:37:15 ]
RE: [Stefan] What do you do most of your free time?
Free time I spend with my family and messing around on the computer. Since I spent so much time on the computer during school my wife limits my time to looking at stock market and trading. Fixing things around the house takes up all my time that I don't spend with the family. We want to travel so we're saving money. I have traveled for work quite a bit in the past so I'm not all that thrilled with travel, bou I would like to spend som time outside the US traveling

[ RicAdams/KSC - 55 - 10:38:45 ]
RE: [MrsSouthwood/DavisTownsendElementary] How long does it take to leave the earth's atmosphere?
For Shuttle, it takes about 8 minutes to MECO (Main Entgine Cut Off), and they are in orbit. They actually left most of the atmosphere when they have jettisoned the SRB's, about 10 miles up, two minutes into the flight ascent.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 57 - 10:41:24 ]
RE: [MissCraver/NorthwestElementarySchool] What happened to the rose during this last mission with John Glenn?
Sorry, I'm cluless on that mission, though I did catch a glimpse of him getting on board the astronaut van just before he left, and I watched the launch from a beautiful view from a special test tower on the center. I also saw his launch in 1962. That was fascinating because I watched all the mearly manned launches live from Cocoa Beach where my parents lived at that time.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 61 - 10:44:03 ]
RE: [MrsSouthwood/DavisTownsendElementary] Do you think that people will ever live in space?
We live in space now (for two weeks at a time). The Russians have lived continuously in space for over a year for individuals. Remember, we had a Manned Space Station in 1975 (Skylab), but other priorities (budget) took over. I personally believe that in the near future we will be able to have a manned colony on the moon and perhaps 20 - 50 people living in space continuously in perhaps 20 years

[ RicAdams/KSC - 62 - 10:47:30 ]
RE: [Preea] Have you always been interested in the Space Program? Do you like science fiction like Star Trek?
I watched all the early development unmanned alunches from Cocoa Beach where I lived since 1954. I followed each launch in detail as much as I could, but most of the launches were classified, so the liftoff times were secret and I spent much time trying to figure out when the launches would occur. That was a special problem. These were unmanned launches to develop the vehicles and the guidance systems necessary to develop weapons. When John Kennedy said we could go to the moon, manned flight really got serious.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 63 - 10:50:39 ]
RE: [MrsSouthwood/DavisTownsendElementary] Has any astronaut ever been hurt due to damage on the shuttle?
There have been several deaths involving Shuttle, a couple during ground processing and Challenger. The ground processing involved people entering space that was purged with nitrogen. There were a couple of firefighters killed during operations to suppress local forest fires. These are terrible when they happen, and a great deal is learned during the subsequent investigations that I am certain have prevented others.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 64 - 10:53:41 ]
RE: [Lauren] Were you scared in the Navy?
The Navy time I had waas fairly peaceful, since I was not directly involved with Viet Nam. Any time one is on a ship at sea, there are hazardous situations. We were trained quite well to do our jobs and to keep from getting injured. Safety was on our minds quite often, but I don't recall getting scared (probably the most scary was the bus trip from my home in Cocoa Beach to Jacksonville when I signed up), since I had never really been away from home much.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 69 - 10:56:19 ]
RE: [MrsSouthwood/DavisTownsendElementary] We noticed that your birthday is in November. Happy birthday!
Thank you. I've been known to forget my own birthday, and I try to remember my wife and daughters'. Things are so busy lately, but I appreciate the thought.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 71 - 10:59:40 ]
RE: [cochran/sub] pertaining to the question about the windows, what speed would trash have to travel to damage the window?
There are small fast moving particles that are estimated to be traveling between 30,000 and 100,000 feet per second. These are extra-solar or some perhaps that are in polar orbit. Things atat are in the same orbit as Shuttle are going at the same speed and don't do much damage. There are several damage scenarios for the window, one of which is caused by slow moving particles (several hundred to several thousand feet per second that do not vaporize but strike and perhaps bounce off. leaving bruised glass underneath the surface of the window that is invisible without special lighting.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 73 - 11:02:08 ]
RE: [cochran/sub] How would you and your family feel about going into space on a shuttle mission.
I'm sure my daughter would go, but am less certain about my wife. I would love to try it, and I imagine it might be possible if space became a priority in this country. So much is dependent on the public whim, and fortunately it is enough to maintain what we've got. Maybe when we get the Space Station up there will be more opportunity to fly private citizens.

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 74 - 11:02:13 ]
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[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 75 - 11:03:43 ]
Mrs. Southwood, we appreciate your class' great questions today! Be sure to check our chat archives via the STO chat schedule page at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/chats to see answers to your questions.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 76 - 11:04:35 ]
RE: [Class] We just read your answer about the cost to replace one window and we were amazed. We then wondered how much it costs to build one shuttle. Do you know?
I believe the cost to replace Challenger was about $2.5 Billion. This is very complicated hardware, it was not built to be easily maintainable. New vehicles (X-33, X-34 and future X's) will be built with maintainability and health monitoring on board. Health monitoring increases visibility of systems during operation so they don't have to be inspected on the ground after each flight, thereby saving money.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 82 - 11:10:04 ]
RE: [Amber] What is the fuel that is used in the SRB's and the ET?
SRB's have solid fuel that looks like rubber from your car tires. It contains fuel (aluminum dust) and I believe potassium or magnesium perchlorate (the oxidizer. When the rubber is lit by a special igniter in the booster, a flame shoots from the nose down the hollow center of each booster. It takes about 0.055 seconds to light each SRB (55 milliseconds). The ET fuel is liauid hydrogen and the oxidizer is liquid oxygen. Oxygen is in the nose of the ET and Hydrogen is in the bottom. There is probably six or eight times (by volume) as much hydrogen as Oxygen. There are approximately 500,000 gallons of oxygen and hydrogen in the ET. The fuel and oxidizer reaches the Shuttle Main engines through two 17 inch diameter fuel lines that run down the side of the ET

[ RicAdams/KSC - 84 - 11:14:01 ]
RE: [K] How hard is your job
It's hardest to get out of the bed in the morning but after that first cup of coffee, I'm in good shape. Mostly there is a lot of thinking involved, the job is not physically challenging, as engineering is mostly one of advising others about how to solve problems, and perhaps making a few calculations by hand or perhaps writing a special software program to solve a special problem where a lot of similar calculations need to be done to see what might be going on in a particular situation.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 87 - 11:16:43 ]
RE: [MsEverhart] What is the most serious problem you have ever found before take off?
The most serious problems are probably ones where engines shut down automatically just before liftoff, and situations where hydrogen is leaking more than anticipated, but the decision must be made to launch anyway. The worst, of course was Challenger, but no one knew there was danger until after it was gone.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 88 - 11:19:52 ]
RE: [Hannah] Were you involved in any part of the development of the Hubble telescope?
My involvement with Hubble was limited to some early studies for contamination before we brought on a fellow who had a specialty in this area. I recall watching all the launches, so I probably saw it being launched. There were so many people involved in development, but most were not at KSC, since KSC is only the launch site. We do not do very much development here, but we do some.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 95 - 11:23:23 ]
RE: [Kimber] Have you ever touched a Manette?
I think you mean a manatee. I used to dive with them in Blue Springs in Orange City, but I've never touched one. I did develop a special sonar system to put in a boat so we could see them. It was thought that they would get caught by the boats towing the SRB's back and we wanted to know if we could see them with sonar and maybe steer around them. It turns out that it was never a problem. I don't know if there has ever been one injured by the booster recovery ships. I did see one last night. It was within about 15 feet of me and my daughter. We were on a dock and it came up right beside us.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 96 - 11:26:36 ]
RE: [MissCraver/NorthwestElementarySchool] What are the space suits made out of?
Excellent question on space suits. I would imaging there is fiber (cloth) to keep them from blowing up like balloons, and rubber (in layers) to keep the air in. I understand joints have ball bearings to make them easy to move, and that it is quite a struggle to work in them. They would have rubber O-Ring seals where removable parts have to fit together.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 97 - 11:29:22 ]
RE: [Zach] What would happen to the shuttle if you missed a crack or chip in a window and it was launched?
There are actually three windows, two pressure panes that could be at atmospheric pressure and the outer thermal window. It is the outer thermal window that is of most importance during re-entry, since it protects parts of the airframe from the heat of re-entry. I have never know a window to crack during operation, so the inspection process must be working. AWID is still development hardware, so inspections are still currently done by hand, manually.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 99 - 11:33:14 ]
RE: [Stefan] What do you think about the possibility of life on other planets or moons? Which planet or moon in our Solar System do you think is the likeliest to support life?
I believe that life is a possibility of matter, that anywhere the conditions are right for life to survive, that it will start spontaneously. We are still looking for evidence to support this, but I believe it is current thinking that whatever is going on, it is spontaneous. There is little evidence, and whatever there is is a long way out there. We will have to use a lot of imagination to identify it. Life may be forming under our feet as we speak, but I don't know that.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 104 - 11:36:05 ]
RE: [Adam] Why do you use AWID?
AWID is part of a concept that we are developing to automate as many manual processes as possible. By automating processes, we just have to watch a robot work, thereby we can be more confident that the job was done right. Automated processes that are done by a machine are usually done much more consistently than when men do the same job. Men get tired, or bored so these are they types of jobs we want to automate first.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 105 - 11:38:30 ]
RE: [JamesHunt/DBNSouthAfrica] Ric, could you explain to me the sort of HUD used on the shuttle ?
Don't know anything about HUD on Shuttle except that it has one. It is similar to any other HUD display in that data is projected from below the counter onto a special display screen that reflects the readings into the operators eyes and the data overlays the pilots image through the window.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 106 - 11:41:49 ]
RE: [Emily] How many inspections have you conducted on the shuttles?
I have been on the Orbiter on many occasions, but mostly in the aft where the Main Engines are, since this is the area where most of my instruments sniff for Hydrogen leaks. I have been in the crew cbin and mid-deck and in the payload bay and mid=-body. I've never been in the SRB or ET intertank area. Probably a couple of dozen times, early in the program.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 107 - 11:43:09 ]
RE: [jason] Do you like your job?
I love my job, but look forward to a day off. It gets to be a lot of stuff on your mind when you get too involved (special tests, etc.)

[ RicAdams/KSC - 113 - 11:45:54 ]
RE: [Nicholas] Where you present when the Challenger exploded? Who was responsible for inspecting O rings?
Challenger flew almost over my head when it launched, as my office was out on the beach atCape Canaveral. I watched, thinking it would fly out of the cloud and land like it was supposed to during a return to launch site (RTLS) flight.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 114 - 11:48:32 ]
RE: [Chris] Does NASA still use DEC PDP-8 computers?
I doubt it. They are much less capable than even a hand calculator. I suspect they were no longer used after 1975 or so. Things went to the PDP-11 for a bit, then on to the PC in 1985 or so.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 115 - 11:52:44 ]
RE: [JamesHunt/DBNSouthAfrica] Ric, how long do you think it'll be before us not so lucky people have a paying chance to get up there and enjoy the view ?
I think the key to having many people in space is not going to be made by making space flight cheaper, but by making individuals more powerful so they can earn enough to fly at current rates, or else have a lottery where the Government or some other large entity (Disney or Bill Gates) foot the bill. I fear that low cost space flight is a long way off, and that if individuals are going to fly they will have to figure a way to come up with the bucks. Ascent to orbit is treacherous, involves cxpensive guidance systems, a lot of checks and veirfication, and re-entry more hazardous yet.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 116 - 11:55:32 ]
RE: [MsEverhart] Did your inspections ever miss a serious problem?
I would say, since it has been a long time since a serious incident, that our inspections have been catching the right things to maintain safe flight. A lot of safety is involved in procedure, where individuals do the right thing because they have learned the right thing to do. Problems come when changes are made to the workforce, new members, for instance. They must be trained to recognize hazardous situations.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 120 - 12:01:07 ]
RE: [Martin] Did they have G.S.E during the Mercury and Jemeni program?
GSE is Ground Support Equipment. It is used to verify that the parts that fly are supplied with the commodities that are needed (fuel and oxidizer and other propellants), lubricants, coolants, power, communications. Those interface points are disconnected at lift-off. All flight vehicles have GSE. Lately, a new concept called Vehicle Health Monitoring has been introduced that, since many items have been miniaturized, fly on the vehicle and function during liftoff ascent. By flying more instrumentation, we can get more data during flight, and if we have sufficient data during flight, that we don't have to inspect flight systems so often. Old systems couldn't have more than minimal health monitoring because of weight.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 121 - 12:05:21 ]
RE: [Kimberly] Have you ever been involved in designing or inmproving the windows for the shuttle?
I did chat with John Young (first Shuttle Pilot) and he informed people in our lab, including myself, about the problems that early designers had when designing Shuttle and other similar type windows for space vehicles. During re-entry, the temperatures on the inside of the crew cabin can easily exceed the temperature of boiling water, so they didn't want the window assembly too thin. Special coatings are used to reflect infra-red (heat) and keep it out of the crew cabin. I have never actually been involved in design of Shuttle windows, thought I have met some who claim to have.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 122 - 12:09:08 ]
RE: [dave] What if the pagers on the "Wide Area Threat Specific Alerting System" were to fail?
Failure of the pager would be a threat to the user. He would not be warned of pending problems. Same is true of current pagers, though. If your battery goes dead, it beeps to tell you that it is dying, and it is up to the individual to solve that problem. I imagine that verification signals could be broadcast periodically to verify that the system is working. These are what we call reliability problems. You want a safety system to be reliable. My pager has never been out of service that I know of. It is extremely reliable. One seldom notices a pager failure.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 124 - 12:15:56 ]
RE: [JamesHunt/DBNSouthAfrica] Mr. Adams, looking at the basic requirements to enter to become an astronaut pilot, it mentions a Masters as one of the requirements, why do they include this as one of the qualifications do you think ?
Masters level education means that you have spent some time studying the details of the systems and processes you are involved in. It is hard to believe that a conventional engineering degreee would not be sufficient, but after I finally completed my masters (Engineering Management) I realized how mych there is to know. We live in an incredibly complicated society, and Masters Level awareness is necessary for survival in certain arenas. Gut level instinct about what is going on in a dangerlus situation is necessary for survival. Without it one might die. Knowing the right thing when it is needed is absolutlely essential to a medical doctor in an emergency room if he/she is going to succeed in saving lives. Knowing whether an unconscious patient has a drug overdose or complications caused by combining legitimate medicines is not something one wants to have to learn on the job.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 130 - 12:21:04 ]
RE: [RC] Where you involved in any of the Viking missions?
I think Viking was launched probably in 1972 or thereabouts. I was working on Apollo 16 and 17 , the last two moon launches during that time. I was proud to have been involved in moon launches, since it was something I had always wanted to do, but I played no significant role in either Apollo or Viking.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 131 - 12:23:07 ]
RE: [Danielle] Have any of the manatees gotten hit by the Solid Rocket Booster?
Manatees live in the intracoastal waterway, and the boosters fall into the open Atlantic ocean about 50 miles out. We were concerned that the booster recovery boats might hit one, but to the best of my knowledge, that never happened.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 132 - 12:26:06 ]
RE: [MissCraver/NorthwestElementarySchool] After hearing this question on the radio, we are stumped. What is the one bodily function that can not be done in space?
You've got me on that one. It would have to be something that is required lesss often than once per year or the Russians would have done it. No one has been born in space, but it is not unreasonable that this will happen in time. Let me know if you find an answer to that one.

[ RicAdams/KSC - 137 - 12:29:12 ]
RE: [JamesHunt/DBNSouthAfrica] This may sound a bit awkward Ric, but how exactly do the astronauts wash, is it possible to submerge the body as ina bath and how do they go to the toilet ?
Washing (I just learned this a couple of night ago) is simply to wet-towel, since you could not have a bathtub. I understand that on Skylab they actally had a shower. The toilet simply involves catching whatever is discarded, but I have no clue on the details

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 139 - 12:30:38 ]
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[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 140 - 12:31:36 ]
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[ RicAdams/KSC - 141 - 12:33:02 ]
RE: [JamesHunt/DBNSouthAfrica] Ric, the astronauts were talking about the wonderful climate up there in the orbitor, "like the beach" I think they said . Without the climate control systems they have onboard would there be a major difference in temperature as the orbitor went through daylight into darkness and vica versa ?
The crew cabin is well insulated, probably has temperature controls (heaters and cooling water circulation) that would buffer them from thermal effects of the outside. Remember they have the thermal tiles ouside, which would provide quite a buffer. Also, the crew cabin is suspended between the window supports and the crew access hatch. There is little contact bwtween the crew cabin and the outside walls of the vehicle.

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 138 - 12:29:54 ]
As we end today's chat, we would like to thank you, our participants, for joining us for today's Space Team Online chat withRic Adams from NASA Kennedy Space Center We would like to give a VERY BIG THANKS to Ric Adams for offering his time to us today!