What are those things that detach from the shuttle at the last minute?

[peanutaxis]

They look like hoses or something. I mean I can understand that things need to be attached, but do they really need to be attached until the split second the rocket takes off?

[Alan Erskine[_3_]]

On 5/07/2012 9:07 PM, peanutaxis wrote:
> They look like hoses or something. I mean I can understand that things
> need to be attached, but do they really need to be attached until the
> split second the rocket takes off?
>

It depends on what you mean by hoses. Some are electrical connections;
some are communications connections and some are for propellant. Yes,
they _did_ need to attach them until the last moment.

[Brian Thorn[_2_]]

On Thu, 5 Jul 2012 11:07:07 +0000, peanutaxis
> wrote:

>
>They look like hoses or something. I mean I can understand that things
>need to be attached, but do they really need to be attached until the
>split second the rocket takes off?

You don't want to disconnect them until liftoff, in case of a
last-second launch abort (which happened several times) which would
involve lots of time reconnecting them for another launch attempt.

Brian

[Brian Gaff]

Ah those are carrying away all the **** that the astronauts crap themselves
with when the solids are about to fire up.. grin.....

Brian

--
--
From the sofa of Brian Gaff -

Blind user, so no pictures please!
"peanutaxis" > wrote in message
...
>
> They look like hoses or something. I mean I can understand that things
> need to be attached, but do they really need to be attached until the
> split second the rocket takes off?
>
>
>
>
> --
> peanutaxis

[Me]

On Jul 5, 7:07*am, peanutaxis >
wrote:
> They look like hoses or something. I mean I can understand that things
> need to be attached, but do they really need to be attached until the
> split second the rocket takes off?
>
> --
> peanutaxis

Yes, they do
They carry propellants. If the shuttle were to delay or scrub, they
used to replenish or drain the propellants. Dangerous hydrogen gas is
being vented off and that needs to be attached for the same reasons.

Some hoses carry conditioned air/nitrogen, others carry data and power.

[peanutaxis]

On Jul 5, 7:07*am, peanutaxis
wrote:
They look like hoses or something. I mean I can understand that things
need to be attached, but do they really need to be attached until the
split second the rocket takes off?

--
peanutaxis

Yes, they do
They carry propellants. If the shuttle were to delay or scrub, they
used to replenish or drain the propellants. Dangerous hydrogen gas is
being vented off and that needs to be attached for the same reasons.

Some hoses carry conditioned air/nitrogen, others carry data and power.

Why is there hydrogen gas around. I thought it'd be all liquid and all contained!

[Alan Erskine[_3_]]

On 10/07/2012 10:41 AM, peanutaxis wrote:
> Me;1216873 Wrote:
>> On Jul 5, 7:07*am, peanutaxis
>> wrote:-
>> They look like hoses or something. I mean I can understand that things
>> need to be attached, but do they really need to be attached until the
>> split second the rocket takes off?
>>
>> --
>> peanutaxis-
>>
>> Yes, they do
>> They carry propellants. If the shuttle were to delay or scrub, they
>> used to replenish or drain the propellants. Dangerous hydrogen gas is
>> being vented off and that needs to be attached for the same reasons.
>>
>> Some hoses carry conditioned air/nitrogen, others carry data and power.
>
> Why is there hydrogen gas around. I thought it'd be all liquid and all
> contained!

Hydrogen is cryogenic - it's only liquid at extremely low temperatures.
There isn't enough insulation in the world to keep hydrgen liquid
anywhere on this little planet of ours, let alone in Florida.

[Me]

On Jul 9, 8:41*pm, peanutaxis >
wrote:
> Me;1216873 Wrote:
>
> > On Jul 5, 7:07*am, peanutaxis
> > wrote:-
> > They look like hoses or something. I mean I can understand that things
> > need to be attached, but do they really need to be attached until the
> > split second the rocket takes off?
>
> > --
> > peanutaxis-
>
> > Yes, they do
> > They carry propellants. If the shuttle were to delay or scrub, they
> > used to replenish or drain the propellants. *Dangerous hydrogen gas is
> > being vented off and that needs to be attached for the same reasons.
>
> > Some hoses carry conditioned air/nitrogen, others carry data and power.
>
> Why is there hydrogen gas around. I thought it'd be all liquid and all
> contained!
>
> --
> peanutaxi

The hydrogen is constantly boiling off and needs to be vented off

[Jeff Findley[_2_]]

In article >,
says...
>
> On 10/07/2012 10:41 AM, peanutaxis wrote:
> > Me;1216873 Wrote:
> >> On Jul 5, 7:07*am, peanutaxis
> >> wrote:-
> >> They look like hoses or something. I mean I can understand that things
> >> need to be attached, but do they really need to be attached until the
> >> split second the rocket takes off?
> >>
> >> --
> >> peanutaxis-
> >>
> >> Yes, they do
> >> They carry propellants. If the shuttle were to delay or scrub, they
> >> used to replenish or drain the propellants. Dangerous hydrogen gas is
> >> being vented off and that needs to be attached for the same reasons.
> >>
> >> Some hoses carry conditioned air/nitrogen, others carry data and power.
> >
> > Why is there hydrogen gas around. I thought it'd be all liquid and all
> > contained!
>
> Hydrogen is cryogenic - it's only liquid at extremely low temperatures.
> There isn't enough insulation in the world to keep hydrgen liquid
> anywhere on this little planet of ours, let alone in Florida.

True, when you're using LOX and LH2 as your propellants.

Storable propellants are a different story. Unfortunately storable
oxidizers tend to have lower performance and tend to be very toxic when
compared to LOX. Kerosene, as a fuel, isn't all that bad. Obviously
it's storable at room temperature. It has lower ISP than LH2, but it's
also far more dense, which means smaller tanks and lower dry mass for a
stage. For LEO launches, it's not a bad choice at all.

Jeff
--
" Ares 1 is a prime example of the fact that NASA just can't get it
up anymore... and when they can, it doesn't stay up long. ;) "
- tinker

[Alan Erskine[_3_]]

On 10/07/2012 11:36 PM, Jeff Findley wrote:
> In article >,
> says...
>>
>> On 10/07/2012 10:41 AM, peanutaxis wrote:
>>> Me;1216873 Wrote:
>>>> On Jul 5, 7:07*am, peanutaxis
>>>> wrote:-
>>>> They look like hoses or something. I mean I can understand that things
>>>> need to be attached, but do they really need to be attached until the
>>>> split second the rocket takes off?
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> peanutaxis-
>>>>
>>>> Yes, they do
>>>> They carry propellants. If the shuttle were to delay or scrub, they
>>>> used to replenish or drain the propellants. Dangerous hydrogen gas is
>>>> being vented off and that needs to be attached for the same reasons.
>>>>
>>>> Some hoses carry conditioned air/nitrogen, others carry data and power.
>>>
>>> Why is there hydrogen gas around. I thought it'd be all liquid and all
>>> contained!
>>
>> Hydrogen is cryogenic - it's only liquid at extremely low temperatures.
>> There isn't enough insulation in the world to keep hydrgen liquid
>> anywhere on this little planet of ours, let alone in Florida.
>
> True, when you're using LOX and LH2 as your propellants.
>
> Storable propellants are a different story. Unfortunately storable
> oxidizers tend to have lower performance and tend to be very toxic when
> compared to LOX. Kerosene, as a fuel, isn't all that bad. Obviously
> it's storable at room temperature. It has lower ISP than LH2, but it's
> also far more dense, which means smaller tanks and lower dry mass for a
> stage. For LEO launches, it's not a bad choice at all.
>
> Jeff
>

He wasn't talking about storables; he was talking about hydrogen.