Dead-stick landing, like landing a ROCK!
Awesome for Pilots and non-Pilots alike!
Read description below before watching the video
And remember - this is a glider!
Some serious speed on re-entry there! For those of you who may have forgotten, Mach 1 is 760 MPH at sea level!!
Here's something that very few would ever see without the computer:
Notice that when the video starts the shuttle is in a nose-up altitude. The horizontal lines on each side of the display are pitch and bank reference lines. Also notice the steering dot which the pilot tries to keep centred. As the speed dissipates the nose continues to drop until it is well below the horizon as seen when the runway comes into view.
For pilots...no explanation needed. For the non-flying, the following is information that should help understand what is going on and what to look for.
The video is an impressive cockpit view of the landing of a space shuttle at Edwards AFB, CA, on Runway 22 (southwest direction). The view is through the cockpit window with a HUD (Head Up Display; no need to glance down at his instruments) superimposed in front of the window. The HUD allows the astronaut to look out of the space shuttle yet have the relevant information to fly and land in the space shuttle altitude, speed, on course or not, wings level, etc.
The video opens with the space shuttle flying in an easterly direction in preparation to land. There is some light conversation among the crew about a cloud cover and under cast. You will see the under cast (clouds) at the bottom of the picture, with the atmosphere giving off a faint color differentiation, and then the darkening shades of blue to dark space.
One crew member is backing up the flying astronaut by reminding him of the next events-important because there is little to no room for error as the space shuttle is a giant glider with no chance to add power or go around.
Just short of 3 minutes into the video one crew member gives the flying astronaut a point when he should start a right turn for the runway. At about 3:10 in the video the astronaut is told he has the 'needle' centered referring to being on course. At about 3:46 the astronaut is told he is at the 90-referencing the point in the pattern where he is to make a final 90° turn to line up with the runway.
Soon after the astronaut calls "Yeah, we have the runway," look at the upper right corner of the video to see the runway come into view. (The runway is 16,500 feet of concrete, 3 miles long.)
The height above the runway makes for a steep descent by commercial airline standards it's a 19° glide slope. A typical airliner flies a 2.5-3° glide slope. Notice how fast the shuttle passes through altitudes and the high approach speed, 200 knots.
At one point the flying astronaut makes the point that the wind is greater than anticipated and he knows that could make a difference in the remaining energy to reach the runway.
Awesome for Pilots and non-Pilots alike!
Read description below before watching the video
And remember - this is a glider!
Some serious speed on re-entry there! For those of you who may have forgotten, Mach 1 is 760 MPH at sea level!!
Here's something that very few would ever see without the computer:
Notice that when the video starts the shuttle is in a nose-up altitude. The horizontal lines on each side of the display are pitch and bank reference lines. Also notice the steering dot which the pilot tries to keep centred. As the speed dissipates the nose continues to drop until it is well below the horizon as seen when the runway comes into view.
For pilots...no explanation needed. For the non-flying, the following is information that should help understand what is going on and what to look for.
The video is an impressive cockpit view of the landing of a space shuttle at Edwards AFB, CA, on Runway 22 (southwest direction). The view is through the cockpit window with a HUD (Head Up Display; no need to glance down at his instruments) superimposed in front of the window. The HUD allows the astronaut to look out of the space shuttle yet have the relevant information to fly and land in the space shuttle altitude, speed, on course or not, wings level, etc.
The video opens with the space shuttle flying in an easterly direction in preparation to land. There is some light conversation among the crew about a cloud cover and under cast. You will see the under cast (clouds) at the bottom of the picture, with the atmosphere giving off a faint color differentiation, and then the darkening shades of blue to dark space.
One crew member is backing up the flying astronaut by reminding him of the next events-important because there is little to no room for error as the space shuttle is a giant glider with no chance to add power or go around.
Just short of 3 minutes into the video one crew member gives the flying astronaut a point when he should start a right turn for the runway. At about 3:10 in the video the astronaut is told he has the 'needle' centered referring to being on course. At about 3:46 the astronaut is told he is at the 90-referencing the point in the pattern where he is to make a final 90° turn to line up with the runway.
Soon after the astronaut calls "Yeah, we have the runway," look at the upper right corner of the video to see the runway come into view. (The runway is 16,500 feet of concrete, 3 miles long.)
The height above the runway makes for a steep descent by commercial airline standards it's a 19° glide slope. A typical airliner flies a 2.5-3° glide slope. Notice how fast the shuttle passes through altitudes and the high approach speed, 200 knots.
At one point the flying astronaut makes the point that the wind is greater than anticipated and he knows that could make a difference in the remaining energy to reach the runway.
Link to Video: Space Shuttle Landing from Cockpit