NASA-LLIS-6345

Abstract

The original strategy for the shuttle development was to install development flight instrumentation into the vehicle and devote considerable effort during the first flights measuring aerodynamic stability and control, aerodynamic loads, aerodynamic heating, plume effects and propulsion induced vibration and acoustic loads. The effort to acquire flight data was implemented by the Shuttle program office in full partnership with the discipline organizations. After flight six with the introduction of the additional orbiters and the lighter weight tank, the program was declared operational and the capability to continue significant flight data measurements went away. In retrospect, the original strategy to obtain flight measurements was greatly limited by competition for funding and the state-of-the-art for data handling and instrumentation capability at that time. Without the flight data to verify ground test results the levels of uncertainty introduced into the design flight environments greatly restricted the available flight envelope. Managing the risk dictated by the limitations of the flight envelope has been a major contributor to the shuttle system operating cost.