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32 Space

The USA created the space shuttle as a reusable space

vehicle for astronauts and cargo. Five shuttles flew

between 1981 and 2010. Each main craft was a winged

orbiter. For launch, an external fuel tank and two

solid rocket boosters (SRBs) were attached.

HOW DID THE SHUTTLE OPERATE?

At lift-off, the orbiter’s main engines and the SRBs all

fired together. Two minutes later, the SRBs separated

and parachuted back to Earth to be used again.

About six minutes later, the external fuel tank

separated and broke up in the Earth’s atmosphere.

The winged orbiter used its orbital manouevring

system (OMS) to reach the correct orbit.

This was the main part of the space

shuttle that carried the crew and

payload. It was thrust into space

by rockets, operated as a spacecraft

in space, re-entered Earth’s

atmosphere, and landed as a glider.

WHAT WAS THE ORBITER MADE OF?

The orbiter was designed to withstand harsh conditions

in space. The main structure was built from strong

aluminium. For protection against heat, it was covered

in insulating materials, such as thick ceramic tiles. Fuel

cells combined hydrogen and oxygen to provide

electrical power and water for drinking and washing.

WHAT DID THE SHUTTLE CARRY?

The shuttle has carried parts of the International Space

Station (ISS) into orbit. It has also carried some new

satellites into orbit, and equipment to repair existing

satellites. Other payloads (cargoes) have included

space laboratories, telescopes, and smaller spacecraft

that went on to explore the Solar System.

1 SHUTTLE FLIGHT PATTERN

The space shuttle lifts off (top).

The external tank and boosters were

jettisoned, or cast off, before the

orbiter reached orbit (middle).

After its mission, the orbiter returned

to Earth unpowered, like a glider.

It landed on a runway, and used a

parachute as a brake (bottom).

4 AFT (REAR) FLIGHT DECK

The astronaut on the right is the

flight engineer at his computer in

the aft flight deck. The instrument

console is on the left. Another

astronaut is entering from the

forward flight deck, or cockpit,

where the commander and the

pilot flew the shuttle.

SPACE SHUTTLE

Space Shuttle

ORBITER

4 SPACE SHUTTLE ORBITER

The orbiter was about 37 m

(121 ft) long and had a wingspan

of nearly 24 m (79 ft).

Three Shuttle

main engines

(SMEs) used for

lift-off, burning

liquid hydrogen

and liquid oxygen

Crew compartment

provided two levels of

living space – the flight

deck and mid-deck

Delta wing was

aerodynamically

shaped so orbiter

could glide through

Earth’s atmosphere

Payload-bay doors

opened to release the

payload

Pods housing

OMS engines

and fuel tanks

Payload (cargo)

Payload bay

DATE MISSION ORBITER EVENT

1981 STS-1 Columbia First Shuttle mission

1995 STS-71 Atlantis First link-up with Russia’s space

station Mir

1998 STS-88 Endeavour First International Space Station

mission

LANDMARK SHUTTLE MISSIONS

FIND OUT MORE. Rockets 28 • Satellites 28 • Space Stations 33 • Space Travel 30

Space

Shuttle