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From: ix1037@sdcc6.UUCP (Christopher Latham)
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: Re: Shuttle Attitude
Message-ID: <2412@sdcc6.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 9-Feb-86 22:54:20 EST
Article-I.D.: sdcc6.2412
Posted: Sun Feb  9 22:54:20 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 12-Feb-86 06:17:52 EST
Organization: U.C. San Diego, Academic Computer Center
Lines: 13

I believe that the reason that the shuttle ascends in the attitude that
it does is so that the astronauts will always be in a positive G-force
situation during ascent. The path of the shuttle is a curve so in
addition to the force from acceleration there is also G-force from the
curvature of the path. The absolutely worst way to take G-forces is with
your head pointing in the direction of the force. So it makes sense to
have them head down relative to the earth.

Christopher Latham
U.C.San Diego
Dept. of Applied Mechanics
and Engineering Sciences
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