The Space Shuttle was a reusable transportation system that took humans and cargo into Earth's orbit and back. It consisted of a reusable orbiter spacecraft, which carried the crew and cargo, and an expendable external fuel tank and two solid rocket boosters. The Space Shuttle was launched vertically from Kennedy Space Center in Florida and landed on a runway like an airplane.
Orbiter:
The orbiter was the heart of the Space Shuttle system. It was the only reusable part of the shuttle and carried the crew and cargo to and from orbit. The orbiter had a length of 122.4 feet (37.3 meters) and a wingspan of 78 feet (23.8 meters). It weighed about 180,000 pounds (81,600 kilograms) when empty and could carry up to 56,000 pounds (25,400 kilograms) of payload.
The orbiter had three decks. The upper deck contained the crew quarters, which included six bunks, a toilet, and a galley. The mid-deck contained the airlock, which was used for spacewalks, and the cargo bay. The lower deck housed the engines and other equipment.
External fuel tank:
The external fuel tank was a large cylindrical tank filled with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. It provided fuel for the orbiter's main engines. The external fuel tank was about 154 feet (47 meters) long and had a diameter of 27.6 feet (8.4 meters). It weighed about 1.6 million pounds (725,748 kilograms) when full and was jettisoned after the orbiter reached orbit.
Solid rocket boosters:
The two solid rocket boosters provided the initial thrust to lift the Space Shuttle off the launch pad. They burned for about two minutes and were then jettisoned. Each solid rocket booster was about 149 feet (45.5 meters) long and had a diameter of 12 feet (3.7 meters). It weighed about 1.3 million pounds (590,000 kilograms) when full.
Launch and landing:
The Space Shuttle was launched vertically from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The solid rocket boosters and the main engines fired simultaneously to lift the shuttle into the air. The solid rocket boosters burned for about two minutes and were then jettisoned. The main engines continued to fire until the shuttle reached orbit.
The Space Shuttle landed at Kennedy Space Center or Edwards Air Force Base in California. The shuttle would enter the Earth's atmosphere at a speed of about 25,000 miles per hour (40,233 kilometers per hour) and experience temperatures of up to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1,649 degrees Celsius). The shuttle would then use its aerodynamic surfaces and drag chute to slow down. The shuttle would land on a runway like an airplane.
