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Questions and Answers

What was the primary purpose of the Space Shuttle?

  • Launching satellites
  • Conducting science experiments
  • Servicing the International Space Station
  • All of the above (correct)

    • What were the components of the Space Shuttle?

  • Orbiter Vehicle, solid rocket boosters, and the expendable internal tank
  • Orbiter Vehicle, solid rocket boosters, and the expendable external tank (correct)
  • Orbiter Vehicle, liquid rocket boosters, and the expendable internal tank
  • Orbiter Vehicle, solid rocket boosters, and the reusable external tank

    • What was the purpose of the Remote Manipulator System (RMS)?

  • To protect the orbiter during reentry
  • To attach to the cargo bay and manipulate payloads (correct)
  • To provide information and control during atmospheric flight
  • To provide cargo-carrying space for the Space Shuttle's payloads

    • What was the function of the Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS)?

    <p>To change orbit and deorbit (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the purpose of the thermal protection system (TPS)?

    <p>To protect the orbiter during reentry (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the primary landing site for the Space Shuttle?

    <p>Kennedy Space Center (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How many complete Space Shuttle orbiter vehicles were built and flown on missions?

    <p>5 (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happened to the Challenger and Columbia orbiters?

    <p>They were lost in mission accidents resulting in the deaths of 14 astronauts (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the purpose of the Space Shuttle Main Engine?

    <p>To provide thrust during liftoff and ascent (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Flashcards

    What was the Space Shuttle?

    The Space Shuttle was a partially reusable spacecraft system developed by NASA for low Earth orbit missions, such as launching satellites, conducting science experiments, and servicing the International Space Station. It was a three-part system consisting of the Orbiter Vehicle, the external tank, and the solid rocket boosters.

    What was the Orbiter Vehicle?

    The Orbiter Vehicle was the main part of the Space Shuttle that contained the crew, payload, and engines. It was designed to re-enter the atmosphere and land like a glider. The Orbiter was equipped with a robotic arm, called Canadarm, that was used to manipulate satellites and other payloads.

    What was the External Tank?

    The External Tank (ET) was a large, expendable tank that held liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen fuel for the Space Shuttle's main engines. It was jettisoned after the Space Shuttle reached orbit.

    What were the Solid Rocket Boosters?

    The Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) were large, solid-propellant rockets that provided the majority of the thrust needed for the Space Shuttle to launch. They were attached to the external tank and were jettisoned after the first few minutes of flight.

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    What was the Canadarm?

    The Space Shuttle had a robotic arm, called the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) or Canadarm, that was used to grab payloads and move them around in space. It was used to deploy and retrieve satellites, and to conduct other tasks such as repairs and assembly.

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    What was the purpose of the thermal protection system?

    The Space Shuttle was equipped with a thermal protection system (TPS) made of ceramic tiles that protected the Orbiter from the intense heat of reentry into the Earth's atmosphere. The tiles were designed to withstand temperatures up to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

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    What were the major stages of a Space Shuttle mission?

    The Space Shuttle's mission profile included liftoff, ascent, orbit insertion, on-orbit activities, reentry, and landing. During liftoff, the Space Shuttle's SRBs and main engines provided the thrust needed to escape Earth's gravity. After reaching orbit, the Space Shuttle would perform its mission, then prepare for reentry. Reentry involved slowing down the Orbiter to a safe speed, and then landing like a plane.

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    How long did the Space Shuttle program last?

    The Space Shuttle program operated from 1981 to 2011 and completed 135 missions. It was designed for reusability, and each Orbiter was designed for a projected lifespan of 100 launches or ten years of operational life, although this was later extended.

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    What major challenges did the Space Shuttle program face?

    Two tragic accidents, the Challenger disaster in 1986 and the Columbia disaster in 2003, resulted in the deaths of 14 astronauts. These accidents led to major safety investigations and improvements to the Space Shuttle program.

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    Study Notes

    The Space Shuttle was a partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated by NASA from 1981 to 2011 for various missions, including launching satellites, conducting science experiments, servicing the International Space Station, and participating in the Shuttle-Mir program with Russia. The Space Shuttle consisted of the Orbiter Vehicle, solid rocket boosters, and the expendable external tank. The Space Shuttle launched vertically, and the SRBs were jettisoned before the vehicle reached orbit, while the main engines continued to operate. The ET was jettisoned after orbit insertion, and the orbiter fired its OMS to deorbit and reenter the atmosphere. The orbiter was protected during reentry by its thermal protection system tiles and glided as a spaceplane to a runway landing, usually at KSC or Edwards Air Force Base. Five complete Space Shuttle orbiter vehicles were built and flown on a total of 135 missions from 1981 to 2011, and the fleet's total mission time was 1,323 days. Two orbiters, Challenger and Columbia, were lost in mission accidents, resulting in the deaths of 14 astronauts. The Space Shuttle was designed and developed based on the need for a reusable, heavy-lift spacecraft, and NASA issued a request for proposal for designs of the Integrated Launch and Re-entry Vehicle. NASA and the Air Force determined the design requirements of their respective services, and NASA reviewed 29 potential designs for the Space Shuttle before deciding on the final design with two side boosters and solid-propellant boosters. The development of the Space Shuttle Main Engine was delayed, and NASA experienced significant delays in the development of the Space Shuttle's thermal protection system, which used ceramic tiles for thermal protection. Enterprise was the first orbiter built and was designed as a test vehicle. Columbia was the first Space Shuttle to launch, and the first Space Shuttle mission, STS-1, was flown by John Young and Robert Crippen. NASA conducted three additional test flights with Columbia in 1981 and 1982 before declaring the Space Transportation System operational after STS-4.Key Facts about the Space Shuttle:

    • The Space Shuttle was the first operational orbital spacecraft designed for reuse.

    • Each Space Shuttle orbiter was designed for a projected lifespan of 100 launches or ten years of operational life, although this was later extended.

    • The Space Shuttle consisted of the orbiter, which contained the crew and payload, the external tank (ET), and the two solid rocket boosters (SRBs).

    • Responsibility for the Shuttle components was spread among multiple NASA field centers.

    • The crew of the Space Shuttle varied per mission and was divided into three categories: Pilots, Mission Specialists, and Payload Specialists.

    • The crew compartment comprised three decks and was the pressurized, habitable area on all Space Shuttle missions.

    • The Space Shuttle's fly-by-wire control system was entirely reliant on its main computer, the Data Processing System (DPS).

    • The payload bay comprised most of the orbiter vehicle's fuselage, and provided the cargo-carrying space for the Space Shuttle's payloads.

    • The Remote Manipulator System (RMS), also known as Canadarm, was a mechanical arm attached to the cargo bay.

    • The orbiter was equipped with an avionics system to provide information and control during atmospheric flight.

    • The orbiter used retractable landing gear with a nose landing gear and two main landing gear, each containing two tires.

    • The orbiter's vertical stabilizer was swept backwards at 45° and contained a rudder that could split to act as a speed brake.Overview of the Space Shuttle

    • The Space Shuttle was a reusable spacecraft system developed by NASA.

    • It consisted of an orbiter vehicle, two solid rocket boosters, and an external tank.

    • The orbiter vehicle had a robotic arm, a pressurized laboratory module called Spacelab, and three RS-25 engines.

    • The RS-25 engines were mounted on the orbiter's aft fuselage and used liquid oxygen and hydrogen.

    • The Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) consisted of two AJ10-190 engines and was used for orbit changes and deorbit burn.

    • The thermal protection system (TPS) protected the orbiter from heat during reentry and consisted of four types of tiles.

    • The external tank contained separate tanks for liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen and was jettisoned after main engine cutoff.

    • The solid rocket boosters provided 71.4% of the Space Shuttle's thrust during liftoff and ascent and were the largest solid-propellant motors ever flown.

    • The Space Shuttle's operations were supported by crawler-transporters, Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, Crew Transport Vehicle, and NASA Railroad.

    • The Space Shuttle launch preparation involved assembling the SRBs and attaching them to the external tank on the MLP, preparing the orbiter vehicle at the OPF, and mating the entire stack in the VAB.

    • The Space Shuttle mission profile involved liftoff, ascent, orbit insertion, on-orbit activities, reentry, and landing.

    • The Space Shuttle program operated from 1981 to 2011 and completed 135 missions, including servicing the Hubble Space Telescope and constructing the International Space Station.Summary of Space Shuttle Launch, Orbit, Re-entry and Landing

    • The liquid oxygen and hydrogen were loaded into the external tank via umbilicals that attached to the orbiter vehicle.

    • The launch commit criteria considered precipitation, temperatures, cloud cover, lightning forecast, wind, and humidity.

    • Two built-in holds at T−20 minutes and T−9 minutes provided scheduled breaks to address any issues and additional preparation.

    • At T+0.23 seconds, the SRBs built up enough thrust for liftoff to commence, and reached maximum chamber pressure by T+0.6 seconds.

    • Early missions used two firings of the OMS to achieve orbit.

    • The primary Space Shuttle landing site was the Shuttle Landing Facility at KSC.

    • The Space Shuttle flew from April 12, 1981, until July 21, 2011.

    • The Space Shuttle had 135 missions, of which 133 returned safely.

    • The type of mission the Space Shuttle was assigned to dictate the type of orbit that it entered.

    • The crew began preparing the orbiter vehicle for reentry by closing the payload doors, radiating excess heat, and retracting the Ku band antenna.

    • The orbiter vehicle maneuvered to an upside-down, tail-first orientation and began a 2–4 minute OMS burn approximately 20 minutes before it reentered the atmosphere.

    • The orbiter vehicle's reentry was defined as starting at an altitude of 120 km (400,000 ft), when it was traveling at approximately Mach 25.

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    How much do you know about the iconic Space Shuttle? Take this quiz to test your knowledge of its design, components, and operations. From the orbiter vehicle to the solid rocket boosters, explore the technical details of this groundbreaking spacecraft system. Learn about its missions, including servicing the International Space Station and launching satellites, and the tragic accidents that occurred during its 30-year history. Challenge yourself with questions about the Space Shuttle's launch, orbit, re-entry, and landing. See how much you

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