General Question (Real) Space shuttle reentry autopilot?

[Hurricane]

Hello everyone! :hello:
I want to know, how did the real space shuttle reentry autopilot work? I mean, all of the stages of from preperations, deorbit burn, and the reentry itself.
-How did it know the correct place to deorbit?
-How did it compute the reentry trajectory?
Please spare me from no details!

~Thanks in advance, Oz.

 

[Urwumpe]

Hello everyone! :hello:
I want to know, how did the real space shuttle reentry autopilot work? I mean, all of the stages of from preperations, deorbit burn, and the reentry itself.
-How did it know the correct place to deorbit?
-How did it compute the reentry trajectory?
Please spare me from no details!

~Thanks in advance, Oz.

In the SSU thread is a link to a PDF that describes the reentry guidance in all details.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/24122088/Entry, TAEM and Approach 21002.pdf

Deorbit is usually calculated on the ground by optimizing the position of EI and transmitted to the crew. But the shuttle can also calculate a less optimal deorbit by its on-board computers. It then simply calculates a trajectory to a designated point in space, instead of just the change between two orbits in a point.

 

[ADSWNJ]

Great document. I had to smile at this comment in the actual doc:

"How am I supposed to fly the fastest manned vehicle in the known universe and do math in my head? Well it's not that bad."

That describes my first experience on reentry in the Shuttle very nicely! Crazy stuff.

 

[Hurricane]

Hmmm, many thanks Urwumpe!

 

[thumper235]

Great document. I had to smile at this comment in the actual doc:

"How am I supposed to fly the fastest manned vehicle in the known universe and do math in my head? Well it's not that bad."

That describes my first experience on reentry in the Shuttle very nicely! Crazy stuff.

I Caught that and laughed as well. Also, the document made for a great read. I actually learned from it so that is a bonus. Its one thing to watch a rocket go up on tv or in person. Its the behind the scenes that the magic happens. Its really awesome to see for myself how the math applies perfectly.