To provide NASA with an efficient, reusable method of carrying astronauts A third intended Shuttle launchĬalifornia by renovating Titan III launch complex SLC-6 (nicknamed "Slick-6")īorn in 1968 at the height of the Apollo program, the Shuttle was designed Launch complexes 39A and 39B at CapeĬanaveral were originally used for the Apollo missions and renovated for the Shuttle. To its launch pad on a giant crawler-transporter vehicle – a trip which, at a maximum speed of 1.6 km/h, took aboutįive hours. The Shuttle traveled from the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), where its main components were put together, Launch frequency much lower than originally anticipated, it did representĪ giant leap forward in manned spaceflight capability. Although its cost proved to be much greater and its practical In 19 when flights were suspended following the Challenger disaster. Historic flight – Shuttles flew two to nine missions a year, except – 20 years to the day after Yuri Gagarin's Was also used to carry Spacelab and to repair, Space medicine, and materials processing, and delivered into orbit scientific,Ĭommercial, and military satellites and interplanetary probes. It was used to support research in astronomy, biology, To construction of the International Space Station, on missions last up
The Space Shuttle could take up to eight astronauts into lowĮarth orbit to carry out a wide variety of tasks, from satellite-launching Motors were the first ever designed for use on multiple missions. To fly again within a few weeks or months. Then returned from space for an unpowered landing on a runway, and was ready Launched, served as a crew habitat and cargo carrier, maneuvered in orbit, To operate on land, in the atmosphere, and in space, the Shuttle combinedįeatures of a rocket, an aircraft, and a glider. (see below for details) were reusable except for the External Tank. Tank (ET), two Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs), and A new generation of much smaller, reusable vehiclesĮach Space Shuttle consisted of an Orbiter, an External Retired in July 2011 following completion of the International NASA successfully resumed Shuttle flights in 2006. Tank – the problem that precipitated the loss of Columbia. It briefly returned to flight in Jul 2005,īut was grounded once again when debris was seen falling from the External The Space Shuttle fleet was grounded following the lossĪnd again after the destruction of Columbia during reentry on 1 February 2003. The Space Shuttle was the core vehicle in NASA's space transportation system program and the onlyĪmerican craft used to carry humans into space since the Apollo-Soyuz
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