What are space shuttles used for?
What are space shuttles used for?
The space shuttle was NASA’s space transportation system. It carried astronauts and cargo to and from Earth orbit.
What are some interesting facts about space shuttles?
Interesting Space Shuttle Facts: The longest orbit of the space shuttle lasted 17 ½ days. The space shuttle takes off like a rocket yet lands like a plane. The fuel for the space shuttle is mostly made of oxygen and hydrogen. Most space shuttle launches occurred during the day time.
Who invented the space shuttle?
Space Shuttle
| Manufacturer | United Space Alliance Thiokol/Alliant Techsystems (SRBs) Lockheed Martin/Martin Marietta (ET) Boeing/Rockwell (orbiter) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Project cost | US$211 billion (2012) |
| Cost per launch | US$576 million (2012) to $1.64 billion (2012) |
| Size |
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How did space shuttles land?
Shuttle flight path for landing The pilot deploys the landing gear and the orbiter touches down. A parachute is deployed from the back to help stop the orbiter. The parachute and the speed brake on the tail increase the drag on the orbiter. The orbiter stops about midway to three-quarters of the way down the runway.
What were the six space shuttles?
A. Their names, in the order they were built, are Enterprise, Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour. The Enterprise was flown only within Earth’s atmosphere, during Shuttle approach and landing tests conducted in 1977.
How are space shuttles made?
The space shuttle system was made up of three main components: The two Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs), which provided 80 percent of launch thrust. The orbiter itself (which many people think of as “the shuttle”), which served as the crew’s home in space and was equipped to dock with the International Space Station.
How many space shuttles were there?
Six space shuttles
How many space shuttles were there? Six space shuttles were built, but only five ever flew in space. Enterprise: The first space shuttle never launched, but was used for atmospheric flight tests after being released from the back of a Boeing 747.
How fast do space shuttles accelerate?
8,000 meters per second
To reach the minimum altitude required to orbit the Earth, the space shuttle must accelerate from zero to 8,000 meters per second (almost 18,000 miles per hour) in eight and a half minutes.
What was the first space shuttle called?
Space Shuttle Columbia
A new era in space flight began on April 12, 1981, when Space Shuttle Columbia, or STS-1, soared into orbit from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Astronaut John Young, a veteran of four previous spaceflights including a walk on the moon in 1972, commanded the mission.
How fast did the shuttle land?
214 to 226 miles per hour
The orbiter’s main landing gear touches down on the runway at 214 to 226 miles per hour, followed by the nose gear.
What were the space shuttles called?
Q. What are the names of the Space Shuttle orbiters? A. Their names, in the order they were built, are Enterprise, Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour.
