Secrets of the Space Shuttle

By Guy Harrison

Rick Searfoss has a knack for rising. He certainly rose to the top academically, graduating first in his class at the US Air Force Academy. Still gaining altitude, he was named the Tactical Air Command's F-111 Instructor Pilot of the Year. Then, he topped it all, flying three missions aboard the space shuttle. On his final voyage he held the prestigious post of mission commander.
Searfoss retired from NASA in 1998 but never completely left the space program. A gifted speaker, he frequently shares his memories, knowledge and insights with the public as part of Kennedy Space Center's "Astronaut Encounter" presentation. Here are some highlights from my encounter with the three-time space traveler:

The Launch
Three times Searfoss has been strapped into a shuttle seat, sensed a growing rumble beneath him, felt increasing Gs press him into his seat, and then ate his next meal in orbit. Those liftoffs left him with vivid memories of what it is like to escape the pull of the Earth.

Commander Searfoss: The physical sensation of launching into space starts out with a tremendous jolt when you first release off the launch pad and then there is an awful lot of vibration because as you go through the atmosphere you are effected by the upper-level winds and turbulence. Also the way the solid rocket boosters burn produces a lot of vibration. When the boosters drop off, the ride becomes very, very smooth.
The last six and a half minutes is a very smooth ride but you get progressively pressed further and further into your seat as the acceleration picks up so in the last couple of minutes you are feeling about three Gs. That's three times the force of gravity, so your body weighs three times its normal weight. It's not particularly uncomfortable. The seat supports you very well. You can't move around very much but you don't want to move around anyway. You just want to enjoy the ride.
When the main engine stops and you get to zero gravity, the transition is instant. You go from three Gs, pressed back into your seat to floating up against your straps. Various things start to float up. It's a very sudden and amazing transition to a whole different world.
In the orbiter [shuttle], a day launch is more exciting because you can see outside as you go up. A night launch is more like a simulation because the brightness of the rocket boosters washes everything out.

The changing face of space
There was a time when astronauts were one kind of person. They were test pilots, fighter jocks, alpha males with cool heads and steady hands. Always men and always American, they gave space exploration a distinctive look and feel.

In case you haven't noticed, however, things have changed, and Searfoss says it was for the better.

Commander Searfoss: Test pilots comprise about a third of the Astronaut Corps. I think that diversity in every respect, both technical background, individual background and nationality, is very healthy and great for the programme. There is a saying among astronauts that says that once you get into orbit everyone is a mission specialist. Certainly the test pilot skills are an absolute must for the launch and reentry phases but in orbit you're there to do a job. Our job on the Neurolab mission [STS-90] was to do as much out-of-this-world science as we could.
As a test pilot, engineer and physics person there is no way I could have brought all of that science home. There were four brilliant docs on board to make that happen.
Quite frankly, I'm a little disgusted with some of the commanders who have not stepped up to the plate in their leadership role to get as much science out of the mission as they should have.
Certainly it has been an evolution. Early in the shuttle programme we had to focus on maturing the programme. As that maturity has come I believe the best mission commanders have been the ones who realise that we have an important role in making sure that they exercise the proper kind of leadership in order to get the science done.
We will get better and better at this as we progress and now that we've got the International Space Station operational we should really do some good science up there.

Who gets to go?
If you want to know how Neil Armstrong ended up being the first human to walk on the Moon then you have to figure out what went on in the head of a man named Deke. During the Apollo programme all of the decisions about who flew what mission were made by just one man, Deke Slayton. The astronauts were never able to completely crack his mysterious methods of selection and as a result were often filled with uncertainty about what part of history they were going to be able to feature in.
Things have changed, says Searfoss, but grabbing a mission can still be a stressful waiting game.

Commander Searfoss: The best philosophy going into the Astronaut Corps is basically just do the absolute best job that you can do with every assignment they give you, and sooner or later a flight assignment will come. Due to the vagaries of the programme, over the last few years we have had a lot of slips and delays and, at the same time, they have added an awful lot of new astronauts. Some of those people, mission specialists in particular, may wait nine or 10 years before they fly in space, which is too bad. But it's worth the wait.
I was very fortunate. I only had to wait two years for my first mission.
The Chief of the Astronaut Corps develops the mission assignments, but it's unlike in those days when Deke had all that power. The bureaucrats have managed somehow to grab some of that power through the years. Those decisions have to be approved by headquarters and also by the single most powerful person, who is not, by the way, Mr. [Dan] Goldin, the director of NASA. It is actually a longtime career NASA bureaucrat who is the head of the Johnson Space Center in Houston. He has to approve all crew selections.

Who builds them?
Commander Searfoss: Space shuttles are all built in California and are constructed in ways quite similar to airplanes. Most of the structure is aluminum inside. But where required there are other materials like titanium because it's very strong, ceramics and, of course, the heat-resistant tiles. People design it with the same type of background of people that design high-performance airplanes and fighter jets. It also has space technology incorporated into it, so the space shuttle is very much a combination of aero and space.

Control
How much does a space shuttle commander have to do during launch and landing? And who is really in charge throughout the mission, the suits on the ground or the guy up in space?

Commander Searfoss: If everything goes well on ascent it's automated so you're not actually flying. But the commander has the ability, should circumstances warrant, to take over manually at any time after the first 90 seconds of a launch.
As far as landing, normally we leave it on autopilot and just monitor what's going on all the way until we are subsonic. It frees up a little extra brain space so it's easier for the commander to keep track of everything. We do, however, have the ability to fly manually all the way from orbit to landing. We practice that descent on a regular basis. But on every mission, the commander takes over just after going subsonic. If he's in that role then he is a very experienced and talented pilot and brings the shuttle to the runway and puts it down safely.
As long as you have communication with the ground every decision is made by consultation. Not that we have a lot of time to sit around discussing decisions. We have very, very well thought out flight rules to address all of the technical situations that might arise. The commander and CapCom are on the same sheet of music so we can make decisions quickly. In terms of who's in control, it's very much a team effort.
Once in orbit it's similar. The flight director, who is the boss down on the ground, and the shuttle commander are two individuals that rank equally in the sense that both have incredible responsibility for the success of the mission. That's why it's very important for them to develop a good working relationship preflight with your orbit flight director.
I was fortunate to have one of the best of the best flight directors when I was a commander. We were able to work well on the challenges and unexpected problems that came up on the mission.

The high life
The cargo bay of the shuttle may be big enough to fit a Greyhound bus in, but the crew quarters seem awfully small. However, Searfoss says the space shuttle is a mansion in orbit thanks to weightlessness.

Commander Searfoss: The shuttle appears to be pretty small for seven people to live in for a couple of weeks but when you go to space it seems like you have a lot more room.
Try this thought experiment: On Earth all the people in a room have their bodies at approximately the same level sharing the same area. In space those people would utilise all of the room's volume. They would be hanging out up around the ceiling and drifting freely. In space you don't get any feeling of claustrophobia. It's a great experience to be up there and work in that kind of environment.
As far as eating in space, it's pretty good. It's all you have so you better enjoy it. I wouldn't, however, want to eat it on a daily basis down here on Earth. Most of it is dehydrated.

Spacewalk
Commander Searfoss: I've never had that experience. Commander and pilot astronauts do not train for that. Part of the reason is specialisation.
We have to spend too much time preparing to actually fly the space shuttle. There is also another reason. We like to tease the mission specialists by telling them that we can't do space walks because we aren't expendable like them. We have to be around to make the landing.
I have had it described to me though and it is supposed to be just fantastic. Inside the shuttle you have some great views out of the window but the structure of the vehicle obstructs your view a lot.
Outside, however, your view through the visor of your helmet is incredibly panoramic. It's an incredible feeling of being totally disconnected from everything and seeing the Earth go by. It can be disorienting but it's a lot of fun.
Oh well, I had to trade that for the fun of landing the space shuttle. That's not too bad.

Rick Searfoss Bio

Born: 5 June, 1956 in Mount Clemens, Michigan
Likes: Soccer, running, radio-controlled model aircraft, backpacking, and classical music.
Education: Earned a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the United Sates Air Force Academy (1978), graduated top of class. Earned a master of science degree from California Institute of Technology.
Experience: Flew the F-111F and served as F-111A instructor pilot. Served as a flight instructor at the US Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base.
Space Missions:
STS-58: Served as pilot aboard Space Shuttle Columbia (1993). During 225 Earth orbits crew completed various biological experiments.
STS-76: Served as pilot aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis (1996). Docked with Russian space station Mir. Delivered supplies and conducted experiments. Completed 145 orbits of Earth.
STS-90: Served as mission commander aboard Columbia (1998). Conducted 26 life science experiments focusing on the brain and nervous system. According to NASA, the results of the experiments conducted during STS-90 will have broad applicability both in preparing for future long-duration human space missions and in clinical applications on Earth. STS-90 completed 256 orbits.

"Secrets of the Space Shuttle" originally appeared in the Caymanian Compass on 3 August, 2001