ET and SRB camera positions.

[Urwumpe]

Does somebody have the coordinates and viewing directions of the cameras on external tank and SRBs? I remember we wanted to add them to the shuttle, but not yet did so.

 

[astrosammy]

Ecliptic Enterprises seem to attach the cameras to the Shuttle, I didn't found any information on the hompage, but you yould ask them http://www.eclipticenterprises.com/.

 

[DaveS]

Does somebody have the coordinates and viewing directions of the cameras on external tank and SRBs? I remember we wanted to add them to the shuttle, but not yet did so.

Various engineering cameras on ET, orbiter and SRBs as of today.

 

[DaveS]

Ecliptic Enterprises seem to attach the cameras to the Shuttle, I didn't found any information on the hompage, but you yould ask them [URL="http://www.eclipticenterprises.com/."]http://www.eclipticenterprises.com/.[/URL]

They're just the contractors for the equipment. For the ET, it's installed by Lockheed Martin techs at MAF. The SRB cameras are installed by SRB techs at KSC.

 

[Urwumpe]

Would the umbilical well cameras be of any use for us? I am not sure as they don't show something interesting after ET separation to us.

The other cameras could be interesting, I'll take a look on how to implement them.

 

[DaveS]

Well, remember the ET camera is mounted inside the LOX Feedline fairing, rather than on the outside. A lesson learned from STS-112/ISS 9A when they first flew a RocketCam on the ET. But then it was mounted on the LOX tank cable tray and got smudged up badly by the forward BSMs at SRB sep it was impossible to make anything out.

Gave a real nice view of lift-off and first stage ascent though. Was a real PR success for NASA, although they didn't have any plans for flying another RocketCam on the shuttle.

 

[DaveS]

Here's two captures. The first one is from STS-112 and the second one is from STS-114. Notice how the STS-112 camera is mounted alot higher up on the stack than the STS-114 camera?

 

[SlyCoopersButt]

Back then I don't think they were as worried about the tiles so they had it higher to give a view that's more appealing.

 

[Urwumpe]

Back then I don't think they were as worried about the tiles so they had it higher to give a view that's more appealing.

No, I think the reason, that the booster separation motors literally sand-washed the STS-112 camera was the more important reason. At the current position, it is out of reach of the BSM exhaust cloud.

 

[DaveS]

I would really like to see the STS-112 ET camera implemented.