Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!uwm.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!ingr!hovanes
From: hovanes@ingr.com (Kenneth Hovanes 7938)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Shuttle roll maneuver
Summary: why they do it
Message-ID: <7255@ingr.com>
Date: 3 Nov 89 20:10:51 GMT
References: <1989Oct31.002441.7817@utzoo.uucp> <1758@cfa237.cfa250.harvard.edu>
Organization: Intergraph Corp. Huntsville, Al
Lines: 16

In article <1758@cfa237.cfa250.harvard.edu>, mcdowell@cfa250.harvard.edu (Jonathan McDowell) writes:
> From article <1989Oct31.002441.7817@utzoo.uucp>, by henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer):
> [discussion of STS launch roll..]
> > Because the launch facilities were not built from scratch for the
> > shuttle; they were converted from Saturn V facilities.  This involved
> > some compromises.
> 
From what I understand the roll manuver is not because of the design of
the launch pad.  The roll manuver is designed to allow th pilot of the
shuttle to watch the ocean, thereby seeing where he is during launch.

Apparently the roll is used as a precaution to allow the astronaut to
know where he is located in relation to emergency landing areas.  By looking
backward over his head he can immediatly see where he is.

Ken "I asked a NASA dude" Hovanes