| Space Shuttle Coordinate
System
The space shuttle coordinate
reference system is a means of locating specific points on the shuttle.
The system is measured in inches and decimal places; Xo
designates the longitudinal (forward and aft) axis, Yo
the lateral (inboard and outboard) axis and Zo the vertical
(up and down) axis. The subscript 'o' indicates orbiter; similar reference
systems are used for the external tank (T), solid rocket booster (B),
and overall space shuttle system (S).
In each coordinate system, the X-axis zero point is located forward
of the nose tip; that is, the orbiter nose tip location is 236 inches
aft of the zero point (at Xo 236), the external tank
nose cap tip location is at XT 322.5, and the solid rocket
booster nose tip location is at XB 200. In the orbiter,
the horizontal Xo, Yo reference plane is located
at Zo400, which is 336.5 inches above the external tank
horizontal XT, YT reference plane located
at ZT400. The solid rocket booster horizontal XB,
YB reference plane is located at ZB 0 and
coincident with the external tank horizontal plane at ZT 400. The
solid rocket booster vertical XB, ZT planes
are located at + YS 250.5 and -YS 250.5. Also,
the orbiter, external tank, and shuttle system center X, Z planes
coincide.
From the X = 0 point, aft is positive and forward is negative for
all coordinate systems. Looking forward, each shuttle element Y-axis
point right of the center plane (starboard) is positive and each
Y-axis point left of center (port) is negative. The Z axis of each
point within all elements of the shuttle except the SRBs is positive,
with Z = 0 located below the element. In the SRBs each Z-coordinate
point below the XB, YB reference plane is
negative and each point above that plane is positive.
The shuttle system and shuttle element coordinate systems are related
as follows: the external tank XT 0 point coincides with XS
0, the SRB XB 0 point is located 543 inches aft, and
the Yo, Zo reference plane is 741 inches aft
of XS 0.
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