To fuel it and cool it
UUUHH...it's called a "space shuttle" main engine...why do you think?
Rocket fuel. Liquid Hydrogen plus Liquid Oxygen were the fuels used in the main engines for the space shuttle. That's what was in the big orange tank the shuttle rode into orbit.
Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME) are Rocketdyne RS-24 liquid-fuel rocket engines powered by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. The Solid Rocket Boosters used during ascent are solid fuel rockets manufactured by Thiokol Corporation fueled by a mixture of ammonium perchlorate oxidizer, aluminum, an iron oxide catalyst and polymers as a binding agent.
The space shuttle used a combination of solid rocket boosters and liquid fuel. The solid rocket boosters were powered by a mixture of powdered aluminum and ammonium perchlorate, while the main engines used liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen as fuel.
none liquid oxygen and hydrogen are used because of their large energy to weight ratio.... and lack of polution
The space shuttle used a mixture of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen as fuel for its main engines. These propellants are combustion products of a chemical reaction that produces high thrust for the shuttle's liftoff and orbital maneuvers.
Liquid Nitrogen is used in a Space Shuttle to cool down the Space Shuttle Main Engine's (SSME) Main Combustion Chamber (MCC) because the temperatures experienced during lift exceed 3,315 degrees Celcius or 6,000 degrees Fahrenheit. If Liquid Nitrogen was not used the SSME would warp in shape and melt.
There are actually two types of boosters that were both used by the space shuttle before their decommission. To propel the vehicle out into space from the surface of the earth out past the atmosphere, the shuttle used SRB's, or Solid Rocket Boosters. The engines on the actual shuttle are LRB's, or Liquid Rocket Boosters. These are used to propel the space vehicle further into space and into orbit around the earth.
The first space shuttle developed by NASA was the Space Shuttle Enterprise, which never flew in space and was used for atmospheric flight tests. The first space shuttle to reach space was the Space Shuttle Columbia, which launched on April 12, 1981.
The space shuttle main engines (SSME) RS 24 engines use rocketdyne liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen fuel in the engine that is designed in such a way that the engines are reusable.
Space Shuttle Enterprise did not fly in space, it was only a mock-up used for aerodynamics and gliding tests.
The Space Shuttle uses fuel cells to produce electricity. The hydrogen (H2) is burned with the oxygen (O2) to produce clean water (H2O). The heat is used to produce the electricity. The fresh water is then used by the crew or transfered to the International Space Station for drinking and showering. The Apollo Service Modules used a similar system for power and water.