DIRECTIONS: Use all of the available resources in your Mission Manual to work through these. Some of these are “thinking problems” that will require you to make an informed decision about something. Problems like that may not have just one correct answer. In fact, they may have many solutions. You need to give the one that you think is best.

You do not have to write the questions, only your responses. Answer on a separate sheet of paper. You may email your work to me at krislast@bellsouth.net or you can put it in the blue basket as usual. WRITE ALL ANSWERS IN COMPLETE SENTENCES.

1) Describe what is meant by the term “Full Stack.”

2) Why is the Orbiter both a glider-plane and a spacecraft?

3) Which part of the Space Shuttle does the Astronaut Crew actually ride in?

4) How many times can the Orbiter attempt to land? Explain why you gave the answer that you did.

5) What are the three sections of the Crew Compartment. List at least one fact about EACH section of the Crew Compartment.

6) Why would it be technically incorrect to say, “I saw the Space Shuttle land at Kennedy Space Center?”

7) Why is it necessary to have an oxidizer in a rocket engine?

8) What is the fuel in the SRBs? Oxidizer? What does the binder in an SRB do?

9) What are the disadvantages of using the SRBs?

10) What happens to the SRBs after they are jettisoned (separated) from the Shuttle? Answer this in some detail.

11) What do you think would happen if only one SRB ignited at liftoff?

12) What do you do if you are speaking on the MCC Loop and you hear the CDR voice suddenly come on the loop?

13) Who is responsible for everything that happens during a mission? Who is responsible for everything that happens onboard the Orbiter?

14) What holds the Space Shuttle on the launch pad before liftoff?

15) How are “pyros” used to help at liftoff?

16) Imagine you are the Booster flight controller. At T minus 20 seconds (that’s 20 seconds BEFORE liftoff), your screen shows a major problem with SRB A (that’s the one on the left). What do you advise the Flight Director that we should do?