The main mission of the space shuttle program was to provide transportation for both astronauts and supplies, to and from the international space station. There were several other missions as well.
The main difference is that a manned Mars mission is a great deal longer.
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UUUHH...it's called a "space shuttle" main engine...why do you think?
The space shuttle was assembled in various stages. The main components included the orbiter, solid rocket boosters, and external fuel tank. These components were manufactured by different contractors and then brought together for final assembly at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle program involved thousands of engineers, technicians, and workers to design, build, and test the shuttle before each mission.
first the rocket boosters carry it into space then the external tank pushes the shuttle above earth then when the shuttle is ready the external tank falls off and the shuttle is ready for its mission then after its mission the shuttle lands and blows out a parachute come out from the back to help the shuttle slow down.any parts from the rocket or shuttle can be reused except the external tank.
When a space shuttle launches, the main engines ignite to lift the shuttle off the ground. Once it gains enough altitude, the solid rocket boosters are released. The shuttle then continues its journey into space using its main engines until it reaches orbit.
The four main parts of a space shuttle are the orbiter, which is the main part that astronauts live and work in, the solid rocket boosters, which help launch the shuttle into space, the external tank, which holds the fuel for the shuttle, and the main engines, which provide thrust during launch.
The main engines.
The power needed by the space shuttle when traveling through space varies depending on the phase of the mission. During launch, the main engines produce about 37 million horsepower. Once in space, the shuttle relies on solar panels or fuel cells for power to run its systems and perform maneuvers.
The space shuttle is a reusable spacecraft. It has 3 main engines powered by liquid fuel which are used to launch it into orbit with help from similarly reusable solid fuel boosters (the white rockets along the side of the shuttle during launch). When returning after a mission, the space shuttle is unpowered and glides back for a landing. See related question.
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.
The main advantage of the space shuttle was its ability to carry astronauts, satellites, and other cargo to orbit and back to Earth in a reusable manner. This allowed for cost-effective and relatively routine access to space for various missions and payloads.