Getting the 100 tonne space shuttle orbiter from the pad to orbit demanded a launch system like no other before it.&nbsp; A huge external fuel tank containing hundreds of tonnes of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen fed the orbiter’s three powerful main engines.&nbsp; But that wasn’t enough to lift the fully fuelled shuttle off the launch pad.&nbsp; Two towering booster rockets, bolted to the fuel tank, were needed for most of the necessary thrust.&nbsp; Compared to the Apollo Saturn vehicles, this was a novel and complex configuration of rocketry.&nbsp; Designing and building the shuttle launch system required multiple engineering frontiers to be advanced, and some challenging and controversial decisions to be made.&nbsp;&nbsp;Ever wondered how the Space Shuttle came to be? Welcome to a new podcast series, 16 Sunsets. In this episode, Host Kevin Fong explores the awesome and explosive anatomy of the space shuttle launch system - and its vulnerabilities - with former NASA engineers who built its component parts.&nbsp; The podcast takes you through the violent journey from final countdown to orbit in the company of shuttle engineers and some of the astronauts who rode on their handiwork.&nbsp;&nbsp;Featuring: Mark Mullane, Lowell Zoller, Craig Sumner, Mark Craig, Jeffrey Hoffman, Gerald Smith, Warren Wiley, Matthew Hersch, Jennifer Lavasseur, Robert Stewart, Robert Crippen, Ivy Hooks, Barney Roberts and David Mindell.Credits:Written and presented by Dr Kevin FongProducers: Andrew Luck-Baker and Rami Tzabar with additional production by Dave Giles.Assistant Producer: Kate Arkless GraySound Design and Mixing: Richard CourticeMusic: Christian Lundberg, part of Hans Zimmer’s Bleeding Fingers Composer CollectiveWith special thanks to Sandra Johnson and Nasa’s Johnson Space Centre Oral History Project&nbsp;Executive Producers: Stuart Coxe, Kevin Fong, Jago Lee and Rami Tzabar16 Sunsets is an Antica and TellTale Production 2024.Check out our website at https://sixteensunsets.com&nbsp;Instagram: @sixteen_sunsetsX: @16sunsetsWant more 16 Sunsets? Become a premium member of our community and unlock exclusive content, including early and ad-free episodes, by subscribing to 16 Sunsets on Supercast. Learn more at https://16sunsets.supercast.comHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.<hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

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