What are O-rings in space shuttle?

Shuttle boosters are made up of four fuel segments bolted together at three O-ring joints. The O-rings are in place to maintain internal pressure and a failure could result in a catastrophic “burn through.”

What did the O-rings do on the challenger?

The solid rocket boosters carry the shuttle into space like two firecrackers attached to its sides, then drop into the ocean for recycling. During the Challenger liftoff, one of the main O-rings between sections of the rocket failed, allowing hot gas to escape and cause an explosion in which the crew perished.

What are the sparks during a rocket launch?

The sparks are emitted by pyrotechnic devices called technically Radial Outward Firing Igniters (ROFIs) and colloquially “sparklers”. The startup sequence of the Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs) causes them to emit gaseous hydrogen immediately prior to ignition.

What is an O-Ring made of?

O-rings are mechanical gaskets with a round cross section. They are used to prevent gas and fluid leaks in static and dynamic applications and are manufactured from various types of elastomers. Some of the common types of O-ring materials include PTFE, Nitrile (Buna), Neoprene, EPDM Rubber and Fluorocarbon (Viton).

What are the components of a space shuttle?

The Space Shuttle consists of three major components: the Orbiter which houses the crew; a large External Tank that holds fuel for the main engines; and two Solid Rocket Boosters which provide most of the Shuttle’s lift during the first two minutes of flight.

How are the space shuttle engines ignited?

In a liquid oxygen-liquid hydrogen engine, such as the space shuttle main engine, they are actually ignited by a spark igniter. They are located in the augmented spark igniter chamber, and they actually ignite the fuel.

Are there sparks in space?

The purpose of the bright sparks under the main engines of the space shuttle is to prevent hydrogen from building up beneath the engine before it starts. If that happens, and then the engine is ignited, the result is often what rocket scientists refer to as “rapid unscheduled disassembly.”