NASA: never a straight answer, is building other Leo stations for other black projects we may find out about in the next fifty years maybe.
The space shuttle was the first reusable spacecraft.
To lift the 4.5 million pound shuttle from the pad to orbit (115 to 400 miles) above the Earth, the shuttle uses two solid rocket boosters, three main engines of the orbiter, the external fuel tank and the orbital maneuvering system on the orbiter. The solid rockets provide most of the main force or thrust needed to lift the space shuttle off the launch pad.
Drag from air is the main thing that slows down the space shuttle on reentry.
Space shuttles use fuel when taking off and for control while in orbit, deorbiting, and landing. The main takeoff engines use liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, and there are two solid-fuel rocket boosters. In orbit, the shuttle uses thrusters that burn hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide.
For the past 20 years or so, the Space Shuttle has been the primary way into space. However, the shuttles are due to be retired within the next couple of years, and newer rockets are expected to replace them.
The space shuttle was the first reusable spacecraft.
It's Thermal Heat Protection Tiles.
Same: solid rocket boosters and liquid hydrogen/oxygen main engines.
Yes it's called gimbling.
To lift the 4.5 million pound shuttle from the pad to orbit (115 to 400 miles) above the Earth, the shuttle uses two solid rocket boosters, three main engines of the orbiter, the external fuel tank and the orbital maneuvering system on the orbiter. The solid rockets provide most of the main force or thrust needed to lift the space shuttle off the launch pad.
Drag from air is the main thing that slows down the space shuttle on reentry.
Other than the Space Transport System from NASA (which are the everyday "space shuttles"), there aren't that many other ones. The main "other" space shuttle was the Buran Program from the USSR, which had shuttles that looked very much like the American ones. This program was canceled in 1993. Scaled Composites and Virgin have come together to make the SpaceShip series of craft that are reusable, but they can't be used to get to full orbit.
Robert W. Fricke has written: 'STS-68 space shuttle mission report' -- subject(s): Spaceborne experiments, Endeavour (Orbiter), Space shuttles, Performance tests, Space transportation sytem flights, Space transportation system, Space laboratories, Space missions, Get away specials (STS), Postflight analysis 'STS-40 space shuttle mission report' -- subject(s): Space shuttles 'STS-63 space shuttle mission report' -- subject(s): Spacecraft docking, Flyby missions, Space transportation system, Space transportation system flights, Spaceborne experiments 'STS-67 space shuttle mission report' -- subject(s): Endeavour (Orbiter), Space shuttle payloads, Postmission analysis (Spacecraft), External tanks, Space shuttle main engine, Space transportation system, Space shuttle missions, Space shuttle boosters 'STS-47 space shuttle mission report' -- subject(s): Space shuttles 'STS-54 space shuttle mission report' -- subject(s): Space shuttles 'STS-61 space shuttle mission report' -- subject(s): Anomalies, Earth orbits, Extravehicular activity, Fault detection, Hubble Space Telescope, Space maintenance, Space missions, Space shuttles, Space transportation system flights, Spaceborne experiments, Spacecraft maintenance, Spacecraftmaintenance 'STS-79 space shuttle mission report' -- subject(s): Earth orbital rendezvous, Mir space station, Spacecraft docking, External tanks, Solid propellant rocket engines, Space shuttle main engine, Space transportation system flights, Space shuttle boosters 'STS-77 space shuttle mission report' -- subject(s): External tanks, Payloads, Endeavour (Orbiter), Space shuttles, Space programs, Booster rocket engines 'STS-52 space shuttle mission report' -- subject(s): Space shuttles 'STS-37 space shuttle mission report' -- subject(s): Space shuttles 'STS-46 space shuttle mission report' -- subject(s): Space shuttles
Space shuttles use fuel when taking off and for control while in orbit, deorbiting, and landing. The main takeoff engines use liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, and there are two solid-fuel rocket boosters. In orbit, the shuttle uses thrusters that burn hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide.
For the past 20 years or so, the Space Shuttle has been the primary way into space. However, the shuttles are due to be retired within the next couple of years, and newer rockets are expected to replace them.
Because all they need is their main rudder to spin fast enough to get the helicopter off the ground. They need only enough room to spin the rudder and for the helicopter to fit in a space. They don't need to go forward fast to lift off, unlike planes and shuttles.
The Space Shuttle main engines are powered by a combination of Liquid Oxygen (LOX) as an oxidizer and Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) as a fuel. Both propellants are stored in the space shuttle's External Tank during launch. They are fed into the space shuttle's main engines by umbilical lines on the external tank, and then the orbiter's main propulsion system feed lines. The Space Shuttle's main engines can achieve a thrust level of about 512,300 pounds, which is greater than 12,000,000 horsepower.