What happens to all the extra parts of the rockets that carry the space shuttle into space?

Question

I realize that they are eventually released in space, but do they just orbit the earth and then eventually crash back through the atmosphere? Wouldn't a 4-story high chunk of metal do a lot of damage upon impact?

Answer 1

The solid rocket boosters deploy parachutes and splash down in the Atlantic ocean to be recovered and reused. The main engine fuel tank burns up on reentry.

Answer 2

A command is sent from the orbiter to the SRB just before separation to apply battery power to the recovery logic network. A second, simultaneous command arms the three nose cap thrusters (for deploying the pilot and drogue parachutes), the frustum ring detonator (for main parachute deployment), and the main parachute disconnect ordinance.

The recovery sequence begins with the operation of the high-altitude baroswitch, which triggers the pyrotechnic nose cap thrusters. This ejects the nose cap, which deploys the pilot parachute. Nose cap separation occurs at a nominal altitude of 15,704 feet (4,787 m) about 218 seconds after SRB separation. The 11.5-foot (3.5 m) diameter conical ribbon pilot parachute provides the force to pull lanyards attached to cut knives, which cut the loop securing the drogue retention straps. This allows the pilot chute to pull the drogue pack from the SRB, causing the drogue suspension lines to deploy from their stored position. At full extension of the twelve 105-foot (32 m) suspension lines, the drogue deployment bag is stripped away from the canopy, and the 54-foot (16 m) diameter conical ribbon drogue parachute inflates to its initial reefed condition. The drogue disreefs twice after specified time delays (using redundant 7 and 12-second reefing line cutters), and it reorients/stabilizes the SRB for main chute deployment. The drogue parachute has a design load of approximately 315,000 pounds (143,000 kg) and weighs approximately 1,200 pounds (544 kg).

After the drogue chute has stabilized the SRB in a tail-first attitude, the frustum is separated from the forward skirt by a pyrotechnic charge triggered by the low-altitude baroswitch at a nominal altitude of 5,500 feet (1,676 m) about 243 seconds after SRB separation. The frustum is then pulled away from the SRB by the drogue chute. The main chute suspension lines are pulled out from deployment bags that remain in the frustum. At full extension of the lines, which are 203 feet (62 m) long, the three main chutes are pulled from their deployment bags and inflate to their first reefed condition. The frustum and drogue parachute continue on a separate trajectory to splashdown. After specified time delays (using redundant 10 and 17-second reefing line cutters), the main chute reefing lines are cut and the chutes inflate to their second reefed and full open configurations. The main chute cluster decelerates the SRB to terminal conditions. Each of the 136-foot (41 m) diameter, 20-degree conical ribbon parachutes have a design load of approximately 195,000 pounds (88,500 kg) and each weighs approximately 2,180 pounds (989 kg). These chutes are the largest that have ever been used--both in deployed size and load weight. The RSRM nozzle extension is severed by a pyrotechnic charge about 20 seconds after frustum separation.

Water impact occurs about 279 seconds after SRB separation at a nominal velocity of 76 ft/s (23 m/s). The water impact range is approximately 130 nautical miles (241 km) off the eastern coast of Florida. Because the parachutes provide for a nozzle-first impact, air is trapped in the empty (burned out) motor casing, causing the booster to float with the forward end approximately 30 feet (10 m) out of the water.



Solid rocket booster of the STS-114 mission being recovered and transported to Cape Canaveral.

Formerly, the main chutes were released from the SRB at impact using a parachute release nut ordnance system (residual loads in the main chutes would deploy the parachute attach fittings with floats tethered to each fitting). The current design keeps the main chutes attached during water impact (initial impact and slapdown). Salt Water Activated Release (SWAR) devices are now incorporated into the main chute riser lines to simplify recovery efforts and reduce damage to the SRB [2]. The drogue deployment bag/pilot parachutes, drogue parachutes and frustums, each main chute, and the SRBs are buoyant and are recovered.

Specially fitted recovery ships, the Freedom Star and the Liberty Star, recover the SRBs and descent/recovery hardware. The retrieval vessels tow the boosters and other objects recovered back to Kennedy Space center. Once the boosters are located, the Diver Operated Plug (DOP) is maneuvered by divers into place to plug the SRB nozzle and dewater the motor case. Dewatering, pumping air into and water out of the SRB, causes the SRB to change from a nose-up floating position to a horizontal attitude more suitable for towing.

Answer 3

There are no extra parts on the space shuttle.  Every piece on it is necessary for the craft to achieve and maintain orbit. They do everything they can do keep the weight down as much as possible.  It gives them a bigger payload capacity, which is why the shuttle flies in the first place.

Answer 4

I think they break up in the atmosphere, and only small chunks land on the earth.  Usually in the ocean.

Answer 5

the parts get detatched and fall into the oceans to be recycled n reused

Answer 6

Parts used to get the shuttle into space seperate from the shuttle & NASA calculates where they'll land (most of the time in the ocean), so they can be retrieved. When it occurs in space it will float around forever, it's refered to as "Space Junk". Theres little chance of it crashing into earth, and if it did happen NASA would know about long before it happened & they would know where it would hit the earth.