How to Fly the Space Shuttle! Rudder Pedals скачать в хорошем качестве

How to Fly the Space Shuttle! Rudder Pedals

In this episode, we continue our step-by-step journey into flying the Space Shuttle by focusing on a control system that most people never think about—but every astronaut relied on during landing: the rudder pedals. Located at the astronaut’s feet, these pedals weren’t mechanically connected like a normal aircraft. Instead, they commanded yaw control during atmospheric flight through precise electrical signals, translating foot pressure into real-time spacecraft movement. We take you inside the Shuttle cockpit to show how both the commander and pilot used their own set of rudder pedals, each equipped with three independent transducer channels for redundancy and safety. You’ll learn how pedal deflection generated electrical signals that moved servos—not cables—and how artificial feel systems recreated aerodynamic forces so astronauts could actually feel the rudder working against the air. This was critical during crosswind landings, runway alignment, and the final moments of one of the most demanding flight profiles ever attempted. The episode also reveals one of the Shuttle’s most brilliant design features: the rudder’s dual role as a speed brake. By splitting into upper and lower panels, the rudder could dramatically increase drag to slow the vehicle during approach or after touchdown. We explain how right or left rudder input moved the tail and nose, how yaw was counteracted in atmospheric flight, and why these systems made the difference between a smooth landing and a dangerous one. This is real spacecraft operation—no shortcuts, no simplifications. 🚀 Want to go deeper? Join us on Patreon.   / sivrmuseum   Patreon members unlock the long-form versions of these videos, complete with detailed schematics, vertical tail diagrams, control surface animations, and operational limitations—including exactly how far the rudder and speed brake could travel and why those limits mattered. Even our free Patreon tier gives you access to schematics, while paid tiers take you into the kind of system-level detail used by engineers and astronauts. If you love understanding spacecraft the way NASA did, Patreon is where Spacecraft Guide truly comes alive. 👉 Subscribe, share this video with a fellow space fan, and help grow the community so we can continue documenting how humanity’s greatest spacecraft were really flown. 0:00 — Welcome to Spacecraft Guide 0:08 — Flying the Space Shuttle: Today’s Focus 0:36 — HUD Power Switch 4:46 — How to Get More Information by joining us at Patreon!