Payload procedures

[Thorsten]

I'm currently busying myself coding Shuttle-payload interactions, and I was wondering if anyone could recommend a good read to brush up on procedures and data.

For instance, I was wondering about questions like

* I have satellite which is supposed to be captured into the payload bay - but it is tumbling. How to spin it down - what would one attempt? What would be the limits of the RMS arm when trying to forcefully interact with a payload? What limits could the satellite take?

* checkout procedures - somehow just lifting a payload out of the bay seems too easy, there must be more to it

*...

(The idea is to halfway plausibly model also unintentional interactions, i.e. bumping against a satellite with the RMS arm or the Shuttle... not sure how far this might get...)

 

[GLS]

* I have satellite which is supposed to be captured into the payload bay - but it is tumbling. How to spin it down - what would one attempt? What would be the limits of the RMS arm when trying to forcefully interact with a payload? What limits could the satellite take?

For sure the RMS EE had limits (don't know what they were), but I don't think it was made to grapple non-stable items... after all, they used the MMUs to grab things in the early days.

* checkout procedures - somehow just lifting a payload out of the bay seems too easy, there must be more to it

Usually the payloads have an electrical connector (ROEU) for power and data, and that must be disconnected prior to deployment. As for payload checkout, it probably depends on the payload: might have nothing to do, or might have to check comm or deploy something. If it is an upper stage, it also needs checkout a similar. Also, both would need a "power switch" to internal before deployment.

 

[gattispilot]

Well you can get useful? info from STS 49. THey used Lots of things to get the satellite in the bay and ready for launch.

https://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-49/sts-49-press-kit.txt
https://historycollection.jsc.nasa....huttle_pk/pk/Flight_047_STS-049_Press_Kit.pdf
https://historycollection.jsc.nasa....ory/shuttle_pk/mrk/FLIGHT_047-STS-049_MRK.pdf