What is the largest single cylindrical object could be carried in the payload bay?
ANSWER from Guy Etheridge on November 23, 1998: The payloads such as the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spacelab modules, and several pressure vessels of the International Space Station are all constructed with an approximate diameter of 15 feet. The payload bay itself is 60 feet long, however, all of the orbiters except Columbia have undergone modification to relocate their airlock from inside the crew module to the forward end of the payload bay connected to the crew module by a short tunnel. This obviously shortens the available payload length. When accounting for the external airlock and making sure that enough clearance is given to the astronauts to exit the airlock hatch if needed, the maximum payload length is approximately 45 feet. Return to top.
