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Why is LOX on top in the Space Shuttle external tank instead of the other the way round? [duplicate]

Why was the Shuttle's LOX tank on top of the LH2 tank, since that makes it more top-heavy?Why does a rocket engine provide more thrust in a vacuum than in atmosphere?Why was the Shuttle's LOX tank on top of the LH2 tank, since that makes it more top-heavy?Why wasn't the space shuttle fully Liquid fueled?Why did the External Tank not have its own engines?Combination of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygenWhy spray LOx into combustion chamber, if GOx is more effective?Why didn't the space shuttle use non-foam-shedding external tanks?Why does the Falcon 9 use RP-1/LOx and not LH2/LOx?How big of an external tank to replace the shuttle SRBs with more LH2 and LO2?Cheapest rocket to go to space?

4

$begingroup$

This question already has an answer here:

• 
  Why was the Shuttle's LOX tank on top of the LH2 tank, since that makes it more top-heavy?
  
  2 answers
  
  

Why is oxygen placed on top of hydrogen? Does this have anything to do with letting the warmer and not the colder liquid have a non-spherical bulkhead and thus more surface area to reduce boil-off?

rockets space-shuttle fuel

share|improve this question

edited May 13 at 0:10

Organic Marble

64.2k4178273

asked May 12 at 23:14

Meatball PrincessMeatball Princess

3077

$endgroup$

marked as duplicate by Russell Borogove, Community♦ May 13 at 2:24

This question has been asked before and already has an answer. If those answers do not fully address your question, please ask a new question.

add a comment | 

4

$begingroup$

This question already has an answer here:

• 
  Why was the Shuttle's LOX tank on top of the LH2 tank, since that makes it more top-heavy?
  
  2 answers
  
  

Why is oxygen placed on top of hydrogen? Does this have anything to do with letting the warmer and not the colder liquid have a non-spherical bulkhead and thus more surface area to reduce boil-off?

rockets space-shuttle fuel

share|improve this question

edited May 13 at 0:10

Organic Marble

64.2k4178273

asked May 12 at 23:14

Meatball PrincessMeatball Princess

3077

$endgroup$

marked as duplicate by Russell Borogove, Community♦ May 13 at 2:24

This question has been asked before and already has an answer. If those answers do not fully address your question, please ask a new question.

add a comment | 

$begingroup$

This question already has an answer here:

• 
  Why was the Shuttle's LOX tank on top of the LH2 tank, since that makes it more top-heavy?
  
  2 answers
  
  

Why is oxygen placed on top of hydrogen? Does this have anything to do with letting the warmer and not the colder liquid have a non-spherical bulkhead and thus more surface area to reduce boil-off?

rockets space-shuttle fuel

share|improve this question

edited May 13 at 0:10

Organic Marble

64.2k4178273

asked May 12 at 23:14

Meatball PrincessMeatball Princess

3077

$endgroup$

share|improve this question

edited May 13 at 0:10

Organic Marble

64.2k4178273

asked May 12 at 23:14

Meatball PrincessMeatball Princess

3077

share|improve this question

edited May 13 at 0:10

Organic Marble

64.2k4178273

asked May 12 at 23:14

Meatball PrincessMeatball Princess

3077

edited May 13 at 0:10

Organic Marble

64.2k4178273

edited May 13 at 0:10

Organic Marble

64.2k4178273

asked May 12 at 23:14

Meatball PrincessMeatball Princess

3077

asked May 12 at 23:14

Meatball PrincessMeatball Princess

3077

1 Answer
1

active

oldest

votes

13

$begingroup$

Having the colder tank lower in the stack is marginally helpful for the thermal design, but in the case of the space shuttle, aerodynamic considerations dominate.

For aerodynamic stability, it's desirable to put the center of gravity well forward of the center of aerodynamic pressure (which means roughly "where the drag is happening"). Think about a throwing dart, with its heavy forward end and draggy fins at the back; the drag force on the fins keeps it from tumbling.

The wings of the space shuttle orbiter are a big source of drag, so the center of gravity needs to be forward of that. Liquid oxygen is about 16 times as dense as liquid hydrogen, so forward it goes, to move the overall CG forward of the wings.

share|improve this answer

answered May 12 at 23:46

Russell BorogoveRussell Borogove

92.4k3311396

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  It also reduces the range that the engines have to gimbal
  $endgroup$
  – Hans
  May 13 at 13:52
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

13

$begingroup$

Having the colder tank lower in the stack is marginally helpful for the thermal design, but in the case of the space shuttle, aerodynamic considerations dominate.

For aerodynamic stability, it's desirable to put the center of gravity well forward of the center of aerodynamic pressure (which means roughly "where the drag is happening"). Think about a throwing dart, with its heavy forward end and draggy fins at the back; the drag force on the fins keeps it from tumbling.

The wings of the space shuttle orbiter are a big source of drag, so the center of gravity needs to be forward of that. Liquid oxygen is about 16 times as dense as liquid hydrogen, so forward it goes, to move the overall CG forward of the wings.

share|improve this answer

answered May 12 at 23:46

Russell BorogoveRussell Borogove

92.4k3311396

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  It also reduces the range that the engines have to gimbal
  $endgroup$
  – Hans
  May 13 at 13:52
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

13

$begingroup$

Having the colder tank lower in the stack is marginally helpful for the thermal design, but in the case of the space shuttle, aerodynamic considerations dominate.

For aerodynamic stability, it's desirable to put the center of gravity well forward of the center of aerodynamic pressure (which means roughly "where the drag is happening"). Think about a throwing dart, with its heavy forward end and draggy fins at the back; the drag force on the fins keeps it from tumbling.

The wings of the space shuttle orbiter are a big source of drag, so the center of gravity needs to be forward of that. Liquid oxygen is about 16 times as dense as liquid hydrogen, so forward it goes, to move the overall CG forward of the wings.

share|improve this answer

answered May 12 at 23:46

Russell BorogoveRussell Borogove

92.4k3311396

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  It also reduces the range that the engines have to gimbal
  $endgroup$
  – Hans
  May 13 at 13:52
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

$begingroup$

Having the colder tank lower in the stack is marginally helpful for the thermal design, but in the case of the space shuttle, aerodynamic considerations dominate.

For aerodynamic stability, it's desirable to put the center of gravity well forward of the center of aerodynamic pressure (which means roughly "where the drag is happening"). Think about a throwing dart, with its heavy forward end and draggy fins at the back; the drag force on the fins keeps it from tumbling.

The wings of the space shuttle orbiter are a big source of drag, so the center of gravity needs to be forward of that. Liquid oxygen is about 16 times as dense as liquid hydrogen, so forward it goes, to move the overall CG forward of the wings.

share|improve this answer

answered May 12 at 23:46

Russell BorogoveRussell Borogove

92.4k3311396

$endgroup$

share|improve this answer

answered May 12 at 23:46

Russell BorogoveRussell Borogove

92.4k3311396

answered May 12 at 23:46

Russell BorogoveRussell Borogove

92.4k3311396

answered May 12 at 23:46

Russell BorogoveRussell Borogove

92.4k3311396