Space Transportation System aka. Space Shuttle
Facts
1981 - 2011
135 missions
6 orbiters
- Enterprise (testing only)
- Columbia
- Challenger
- Discovery
- Atlantis
- Endeavour
2 accidents
- Challenger: January 28, 1986
- Columbia: February 1, 2003
Structure
- Orbiter Vehicle
- Reusable
- Payload bay: 15 by 60 feet
- Maximum payload: 55,250 lb
- External Tank
- Liquid oxygen & hydrogen
- not reused
- Solid Rocket Boosters
- Deliver 83% of the thrust needed for liftoff
- Parachute down into the ocean after 2 minutes and get recovered and re-used