What factors dictate the physical shape of the shuttle?
ANSWER from Andrew Petro on May 5, 1997: The 60 foot length and the 15 foot diameter of the payload bay dictated the size and shape of the Orbiter fuselage. The large delta wing configuration was chosen to provide a high lift-to-drag (L/D) ratio during the hypersonic entry phase (to provide a large crossrange) and sufficient subsonic lift during the approach and landing with a reasonably slow landing speed. There was a lot of consideration given to a straight-wing configuration which would be better than the delta wing for landing but not allow for as much crossrange. Because of the high temperature during re-entry, the straight-wing version would have to fly at a higher angle of attack to keep the leading edges of the wing out of the direct flow and so the L/D would be lower and therefore have less crossrange. As it turns out, the Shuttle doesn’t normally use all of the crossrange capability that it has. Return to top.
