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How was the external fuel tank filled with LH2 and LOX while the shuttle was on the launch pad? I know there was a gaseous oxygen umbilical on the top of the ET and a gaseous hydrogen umbilical about halfway down the tank. So where were the connections to fill the tank with fuel and oxidiser?

Tom C
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    Are you asking how the Space Shuttle was fuelled or how the External tank was fuelled? Because your title says how the space shuttle was fuelled and the last sentence asks how the ET was fuelled. – Star Man Oct 13 '19 at 21:51
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    If you want to have cryogenic liquid propellants in the tanks, you got to fill cryogenic liquid propellants. There would be a lot of gaseous boiloff which should be removed by umbilicals to keep them away from the launch pad to avoid explosions or fire. – Uwe Oct 13 '19 at 22:02
  • The vast majority of the shuttle fuel was in the external tank @Starman. So while details of loading the APUs, OMSs and Fuel cells is also interesting, and would make a nice addendum to an answer, the location of the ET filling umbilicals and connectors is interesting on its own -- and asking for just those doesn't risk making the question too broad. –  Oct 13 '19 at 23:28
  • @JCRM I wasn't sure what the OP was asking for because the title and description don't match. Also I assumed the OP knew that the Shuttle is fuelled by the ET. But I guess the question can work both ways because the Tail Service Masts also provided some fuel (for the Orbital Maneuver Systems I believe). – Star Man Oct 14 '19 at 00:53
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    Are you using "space shuttle" to refer to just the orbiter @StarMan? –  Oct 14 '19 at 00:56
  • @JCRM Yes. Have I been using the wrong word my entire life? I though the term "Space Shuttle" referred to just the orbiter. – Star Man Oct 14 '19 at 00:57
  • That depends if your NASA or the general public really @StarMan. Anyway, I'm waiting for OM to come along with some docs from his private collection to answer this question, because it's not easy to find an answer. –  Oct 14 '19 at 01:14
  • Let's just call it an STS (Space Transportation System) to cover all the bases. - "The Space Shuttle —composed of an orbiter launched with two reusable solid rocket boosters and a disposable external fuel tank..." – Mazura Oct 15 '19 at 00:49

1 Answers1

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The shuttle external tank held the propellants for the shuttle main engines. It was filled from spherical tanks positioned at the perimeter of the launch pad. Insulated lines ran from the spheres, through the Mobile Launcher, and into the Orbiter through two tombstone-shaped Tail Service Masts.

Then through the Orbiter Main Propulsion System plumbing into the External Tank.

Here is a schematic from the Ascent Pocket Checklist showing how the fill and drain lines from the Masts (highlighted) teed into the lines going to the External Tank.

enter image description here

Here is a paper about the Tail Service Masts.

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19790013204

A picture of the Tail Service Mast (TSM) attached to the Orbiter's main propulsion plumbing system. One service mast delivers LOX (oxidizer on the right) and the other delivers LH2 (fuel on the left).

Tail Service Mast

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