Abstract :
Early design requirements for the Space Shuttle dictated a wingspan of 23.77 m, which reduced the aerodynamic stability of the 68 038.5-kg vehicle. To maintain stable flight in a vehicle that size, reactions to twisting, bending, flexing or other aerodynamic instabilities must be made in milliseconds-an impossible feat for humans. An all-digital electronic system was devised to compensate for the Shuttle´s instability.
