Related topics: nasa , international space station , launch
Space Shuttle
hideNASA's Space Shuttle, officially named the Space Transportation System (STS), is the spacecraft currently used by the United States government for its human spaceflight missions and is scheduled to be retired from service in 2010. At launch, it consists of a rust-colored external tank (ET), two white, slender Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs), and the orbiter, which is a winged spaceplane in the narrowest sense.
The orbiter carries astronauts and payload such as satellites or space station parts into low earth orbit, into the Earth's upper atmosphere or thermosphere. Usually, five to seven crew members ride in the orbiter. The payload capacity is 22,700 kilograms (50,000 lb). When the orbiter's mission is complete it fires its Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) thrusters to drop out of orbit and re-enters the lower atmosphere. During the descent, the shuttle orbiter decelerates from hypersonic speed primarily by aerobraking and then for the landing phase it acts as a glider, making a completely unpowered (deadstick) landing.
For more information about Space Shuttle, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with space shuttle
Superconductor magnet spacecraft heat shield being developed
Nov 26, 2009 |
4.8 / 5 (44) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- European space agencies and an aerospace giant are developing a new re-entry heat shield that will use superconductor magnets to generate a magnetic field strong enough to deflect the superhot ...
NASA puzzled why parachutes failed in rocket test
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Dec 03, 2009 |
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(AP) -- NASA still isn't sure why two parachutes failed during a test flight of its prototype moon rocket just over a month ago.
Astronauts surprised by holiday turkey dinners
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Nov 26, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Space shuttle Atlantis' astronauts thought they were going to give thanks with pantry leftovers Thursday as their mission drew to a close, but found turkey dinners awaiting them.
Nanotech in Space: Experiment To Weather the Trials of Orbit
Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials
Nov 24, 2009 |
4 / 5 (2) |
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Novel nanomaterials developed at Rensselaer were sent into orbit on Nov. 16 aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis.
Space shuttle Atlantis, 7 astronauts back on Earth
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Nov 27, 2009 |
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Space shuttle Atlantis and its crew of seven astronauts ended an 11-day journey of nearly 4.5 million miles with a 9:44 a.m. EST landing Friday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Astronauts get extra work done in 1st spacewalk (Update)
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Nov 19, 2009 |
not rated yet |
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(AP) -- A pair of spacewalking astronauts, one of them a surgeon, hustled through antenna and cable work outside the International Space Station on Thursday and even whipped off an extra chore.
Russia hopes nuclear ship will fly humans to Mars
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Oct 29, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Russia should build a new nuclear-powered spaceship for prospective manned missions to Mars and other planets, the nation's space chief said Thursday.
Space shuttle Atlantis lifts off on supply mission
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Nov 16, 2009 |
3.5 / 5 (2) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Space shuttle Atlantis and its six-member crew began an 11-day delivery flight to the International Space Station on Monday with a 2:28 p.m. EST launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in ...
Thanksgiving last full day in space for shuttle
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Nov 26, 2009 |
not rated yet |
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(AP) -- Space shuttle Atlantis' astronauts will spend Thanksgiving checking their ship for the ride home.
Nanotech in Space: Rensselaer Experiment To Weather the Trials of Orbit
Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials
Nov 12, 2009 |
not rated yet |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Novel nanomaterials developed at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are scheduled to blast off into orbit on November 16 aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis.
Astronauts take spacewalk No. 3 after suit snag
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Nov 23, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
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(AP) -- A pair of astronauts stepped out on the third and final spacewalk of their shuttle mission Monday, helping to install an enormous oxygen tank at the International Space Station.
Astronaut's baby daughter born as he circles Earth
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Nov 22, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
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(AP) -- Astronaut Randolph Bresnik jubilantly welcomed his new daughter into the world Sunday as he floated 220 miles above it.
Scientists use low-gravity space station lab to study crystal growth
Sep 21, 2009 |
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A research project 10 years in the making is now orbiting the Earth, much to the delight of its creator Rohit Trivedi, a senior metallurgist at the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory. Equipment recently ...
Astronauts get extra moving time at space station
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Nov 20, 2009 |
4 / 5 (1) |
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(AP) -- The astronauts aboard the shuttle-station complex are getting some extra moving time.
Final frontier: Crowd sees spaceship launcher fly
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Jul 28, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Hundreds of earthlings turned their faces to the sky Monday to see an airplane built to launch a ship into space, watching the gleaming white craft soar overhead.
