Orbital Maneuvering System
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The Orbital Maneuvering System, or OMS (pronounced /omz/), is a system of rocket engines used on the space shuttle orbiter for orbital injection and modifying its orbit.[1] It consists of two "packs" at the back of the Shuttle, the large lumps on either side of the vertical stabilizer. Each pack contains a single hypergolic engine, based on the Service Propulsion System on the Apollo Service Module, with a thrust of 6,000 lbf (27 kN) and a Specific impulse of 313 seconds, which can be reused for 100 missions and is capable of 1,000 starts and 15 hours of firing. The OMS pods also contain the rear set of reaction control system (RCS) engines as well, which are referred to as the OMS/RCS. The fuel used is monomethylhydrazine (MMH), which is oxidized with nitrogen tetroxide (N2O4). The Shuttle has enough fuel for about 1000 ft/s (approx. 300 m/s) of delta-V using the OMS.[2]
Depending on the ascent profile of the mission, the OMS engines may be used to assist acceleration to orbit.[1]
Orbital maneuvering system can be used to describe any system for moving about in orbit, so the term is found in non-Shuttle related topics as well.
[edit] References
- ^ a b NASA (1998). Orbital Maneuvering System. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Retrieved on February 8, 2008.
- ^ NASA (1998). Propellant Storage and Distribution. NASA. Retrieved on February 8, 2008.
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