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A Space Shuttle is an American spacecraft, which is reusable, unlike any other space vehicles, and is quite similar to a rocket (see Rocket). It has four main parts: two rocket boosters, a giant external fuel tank and the space plane itself (also known as an orbiter).
At take-off, all these are attached, as shown in the diagram below. Two minutes and twelve seconds after the launch, the two solid fuel boosters burn out and separate, falling back to Earth with parachutes, because many of their parts can be re-used. The main fuel tank supplies fuel (propellants) to the orbiter's three main engines. It separates eight minutes fifty seconds after take-off.
As the tank burns up on re-entry into the atmosphere, it cannot be reused. After completing its mission, the space plane glides back down to Earth, and lands on a runway, just like an airliner.
This diagram shows how the space shuttle leaves orbit and lands on an airstrip.
A factor which plays a very important role in the Space Shuttle's reusability is its covering of tiles and blankets (see photo below). These special ceramic tiles are designed to withstand temperatures of up to 1,400ºC without damage!
Originally, five orbiters were built for the American Space Shuttle 'fleet'. Enterprise was only ever used for testing in the atmosphere. Columbia was the first into space, on 12th April 1981. Challenger blew up less than two minutes after lift-off on 28th January 1986 (see photo below), and the Space Shuttle programme was grounded, while engineers looked for the fault. In addition to these, there were Discovery and Atlantis. The names commemorate famous sea-going research ships.
Main engine exhaust, solid rocket booster plume and an expanding ball of gas from the external tank are visible seconds after the Space Shuttle Challenger accident.
The orbiter is the world's biggest glider. It is 37.2m long and 23.8m from one wing tip to another. The Shuttle's giant propellant tank is 47m high and 8.4m across. It is able to provide the orbiter's main engines with 709 tonnes of liquid fuel. The solid-fuel boosters are 45.5m long and 3.7 m wide.
The Russians also launched a space shuttle, but it only ever made one flight, and was then put for sale second-hand. The Shuttle, called Buran, resembled the American one, but the major difference between the two is that the Soviet craft did not have any launch engines - it completely relied on its rocket. After its first and only flight in 1988, it was sold as scrap.
Buran
This page of 'The Development of Space Travel and the First Moon Landing' was designed and created by E.Abrosimova. Copyright © 2000 North London Collegiate School. All rights reserved.
