What makes the space shuttle different from other spacecrafts?

What makes the space shuttle different from other spacecrafts?

NASA’s space shuttle was the world’s first reusable spacecraft. It launched like a rocket and returned to Earth like a glider, landing like an airplane on a long concrete runway. It was designed to carry large payloads — such as satellites — into orbit and bring them back, if necessary, for repairs.

What is the difference between spacecraft?

In this Encyclopedia, the word spacecraft applied to all and every space vehicles that were intended to be put into space. Satellites are spacecrafts intended to be placed in Earth orbit. Spaceships applied to piloted spacecrafts and probes are spacecrafts destined to explore the Solar System.

What does NASA use instead of space shuttles?

Orion is NASA’s new spacecraft, built to take humans farther into space than they’ve ever gone before. It will carry the crew to space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew and provide a safe return to Earth.

How fast is the space shuttle on re entry?

The Shuttle has kinetic energy due to its speed of 7700 m/s and potential energy due to its altitude. It must lose all this energy in only about one-half hour to come to a full stop on the runway (at Earth’s surface).

What are the three major stages of the space shuttle stack?

The Space Shuttle consists of three major components: the Orbiter which houses the crew; a large External Tank that holds fuel for the main engines; and two Solid Rocket Boosters which provide most of the Shuttle’s lift during the first two minutes of flight.

What does a spacecraft need?

A spacecraft has a number of essential components, such as an engine, power subsystem, steering system and communications system, in addition to science instruments. Most of these systems are housed in a section called the service module, while the science instruments make up the payload module.

What is a spacecraft called?

aerospace industry: Spacecraft Uncrewed spacecraft are called satellites when they operate in Earth orbit and space probes when launched……

Why did NASA stop using space shuttles?

While reentering Earth’s atmosphere, Columbia broke apart, killing the entire crew. All of these factors — high costs, slow turnaround, few customers, and a vehicle (and agency) that had major safety problems — combined to make the Bush administration realize it was time for the Space Shuttle Program to retire.

What happens if the spaceship re enters at the wrong angle?

If the angle is too steep, the spacecraft burns up, and anyone unlucky enough to be inside is crushed. If the angle is too shallow, on the other hand, the spacecraft skims off the edge of the atmosphere like a stone skimming along the surface of a pond. The angle of re-entry for the space shuttle was 40 degrees.

Do astronauts wash their clothes?

So how do astronauts do their laundry in space? Well the answer is, they don’t! On Earth, many of us are able to stick our stained or smelly clothes in the washing machine to get them nice and clean again before we re-wear them. However, there currently isn’t a way for astronauts to do the same.

What are the different types of space shuttles?

Five space shuttles have been launched in space by NASA . Their names are: – Endeavour, Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, and Atlantis. Two of them, the Challenger and the Columbia have crashed. The space shuttle was the first reusable spacecraft in the world. They could easily carry satellites, space probes and other cargo to orbit around the earth.

What is Atlantis shuttle?

Space Shuttle Atlantis. Space Shuttle Atlantis (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV‑104) is a Space Shuttle orbiter vehicle belonging to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ), the spaceflight and space exploration agency of the United States.

What is the history of the Space Shuttle?

The Space Shuttle was a partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system that was operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ) as part of the Space Shuttle program.

What is a NASA shuttle?

space shuttle. A vehicle built by NASA that is capable of taking off from Earth, carrying a crew and a cargo into space, and returning to Earth to be used again. It is used primarily to transport a crew to an orbiting space station and to deploy and retrieve satellites.