APOD: Noctilucent Clouds (2005 Jun 19)
Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2005 11:44 pm
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap050619.html
The picture on Sunday 6/19 had an image of noctilucent clouds. In the explanation, it mentioned that one theory says that noctilucent clouds are formed by the launch of the Space Shuttle, and other ELV's.
I didn't know they were caused by the shuttle, but I do know that the shuttle has flight rules which prohibit the shuttle from possibly passing through noctilucent clouds on entry trajectories. Since the noctilucent clouds are ice crystals, you can easily imagine that they can cause damage to the shuttle's TPS, and could potentially lead to loss of control of the vehicle on entry if it passed through thick enouch noctilucent clouds -- neither of which you want on entry (molten aluminum is hard to control). Anyway, since these clouds form during the summertime in high latitudes, the shuttle will not use a descending (high latitude to low latitude) entry trajectory during the summer to avoid these clouds. Just thought some of you may be interested, and I was interested to see this picture after I had learned about the other shuttle side at work.
The picture on Sunday 6/19 had an image of noctilucent clouds. In the explanation, it mentioned that one theory says that noctilucent clouds are formed by the launch of the Space Shuttle, and other ELV's.
I didn't know they were caused by the shuttle, but I do know that the shuttle has flight rules which prohibit the shuttle from possibly passing through noctilucent clouds on entry trajectories. Since the noctilucent clouds are ice crystals, you can easily imagine that they can cause damage to the shuttle's TPS, and could potentially lead to loss of control of the vehicle on entry if it passed through thick enouch noctilucent clouds -- neither of which you want on entry (molten aluminum is hard to control). Anyway, since these clouds form during the summertime in high latitudes, the shuttle will not use a descending (high latitude to low latitude) entry trajectory during the summer to avoid these clouds. Just thought some of you may be interested, and I was interested to see this picture after I had learned about the other shuttle side at work.