Alternative technical illustrations: Pamela Lee, Time Life, Shigeru Komatsuzaki.

[pavel]

The post is closed and cleared by the author.

 

[Rickshaw]

Discovery, from 2001, was nuclear powered. That is the reason why there is such a long separation between the habitat module and the engine module.

 

[Flying Sorcerer]

And I assume the modules along Discovery's spine carry liquid hydrogen that would be pumped through the reactor. A couple of things really bug me about Discovery's design: a pod can't be launched unless the entire pod deck is depressurized - which seems inefficient; and after returning to the ship Bowman uses a key to unlock something (I can't remember what). Why a key? Did Discovery's builders think someone might break in and steal something?

 

[Rickshaw]

And I assume the modules along Discovery's spine carry liquid hydrogen that would be pumped through the reactor. A couple of things really bug me about Discovery's design: a pod can't be launched unless the entire pod deck is depressurized - which seems inefficient; and after returning to the ship Bowman uses a key to unlock something (I can't remember what). Why a key? Did Discovery's builders think someone might break in and steal something?

Bowman used the "key" to unlock the pod-bay door and depressure it when it was pressurised. Such a "key" is a safety interlock, to prevent that occurring unless there is an emergency need for it. It allowed him to gain access to the ship and the suit helmet he had left behind when he had evacuated the ship to get his crewmate's body from outside the ship.

 

[pavel]

Thank you.