Questions tagged [design]
Questions about how space vehicles and related hardware are designed. See also [structural-design] and [engine-design].
354 questions
20 votes
2 answers
2k views
What materials do rockets use to seal liquid oxygen?
I recently read an article about seal ring applications and was surprised to find that none of the commonly used seal materials are suitable for liquid oxygen temperatures (90K). ...
- 858
0 votes
1 answer
122 views
What was the point of Nova expendable SSTOs?
Encyclopedia Astronautica lists several designs proposed by contractors for NASA's Nova million pound lifter project. This includes 4 expendable SSTOs - including one air-augmented vehicle. But why ...
- 3,712
-2 votes
1 answer
141 views
Artificial Gravity and the Coriolis Effect
From what I can tell there are 2 main forces operating on a rotating circular spacecraft in zero gravity. One force is the centrifugal force, which pushes an object to the outer wall of the spacecraft....
- 11
6 votes
2 answers
452 views
What caused fins to be omitted after Saturn 5 designs?
This question (Why did Saturn V have fins?) led me to ponder what changed in rocket design after the Saturn V rockets that led to the lack of fins on rockets (at least that I could find) post-Saturn V?...
- 3,010
45 votes
2 answers
6k views
Why did Saturn V have fins?
Those things are tiny. Surely the attitude authority of the gimbaled F-1s was more than sufficient to control the vehicle. At a minimum, I can only imagine the fins being relevant around maybe max Q? ...
- 11.8k
2 votes
0 answers
82 views
How many of JWST's single point failure issues were related to sunshield deployment?
JWST had 344 single point failure possibilities that could have killed the telescope, but I find no indication of how many SPF's had to do with sunshield deployment. Lots of moving parts going a long ...
- 3,698
1 vote
2 answers
265 views
How to find the internal temperature of a satellite assuming the satellite is just a box in space with no working subsystems?
I am working on a school project for a 3U Cubesat, specifically the thermal control subsystem. First, I would like to calculate the internal temperature of a "satellite" (assuming the "...
- 69
11 votes
1 answer
2k views
Why did the Apollo 13 tank #2 have a heater and a vacuum?
While reading the accident report of Apollo 13, I came across this diagram: Diagram by NASA The report was just explaining the SM oxygen tank, and I have two questions looking at his diagram. Why is ...
- 2,506
16 votes
1 answer
4k views
Why Doesn't the cooling system on a rocket engine burn the fuel?
The cooling system on a specific rocket engine is usually a type of "pipe" that goes around the nozzle to not only keep the nozzle cool but also pre-heat the fuel. But the nozzle can reach ...
- 163
0 votes
1 answer
191 views
Can we use other materials instead of gold foil? [duplicate]
I was looking at pictures of the lunar module (don't question why ;)) and looking at the landing leg's gold foil I googled why they're there. It is said that it's used to manage the extreme ...
- 2,506
6 votes
2 answers
6k views
What if something goes wrong during the seven minutes of terror?
We all know that NASA has sent rovers to Mars for several years. And, during the last 7 minutes, each rover follows the EDL (Entry, Descent, Landing) maneuver. I believe this process is completely ...
- 2,506
2 votes
1 answer
129 views
What is this device on the ISS? [duplicate]
I was viewing footage from a live external camera on the ISS when I came across this rotating instrument : Image from "ISS Live Now" Application. I was unable to identify the object/...
- 2,506
12 votes
4 answers
4k views
How do satellites operate below their operating temperature?
As we all know, space is a vacuum and doesn't support "temperature" too well. However, when a probe is placed away from a star, the temperature is quite enough to damage electronic ...
- 2,506
1 vote
1 answer
411 views
How have rocket propulsion system designs developed over the years in terms of effectiveness?
I am working on a research project about developing rocket propulsion designs for school. More specifically, I am researching how rocket propulsion designs have changed over the last century, in terms ...
- 11
0 votes
0 answers
105 views
How to do Preliminary Analysis of Spacecraft Primary Structure?
I'm looking for specifics as to how preliminary analysis on spacecraft primary structure is performed (prior to CLA). I understand LV providers include CG load factors in their user manuals, but how ...
- 151