The Space Shuttle is a partially reusable system that goes only into Earth orbit and returns. The Apollo vehicle was not reusable and left Earth orbit to visit the moon. The Apollo was launched entirely with liquid fuel rockets. The Space Shuttle is launched with a combination of solid and liquid fuel rockets.
The Space Shuttle program was named after the Apollo program to honor the Apollo missions that landed astronauts on the Moon. The name Apollo also had historical significance and symbolized the United States' commitment to space exploration.
The last Apollo Missions (Sky Lab) were in the early to mid 1970's. Richard Nixon was president when the Apollo Program was cancelled, so he played a prominent role. The US/NASA began development of the STS (Space Shuttle) shortly afterwards.
There were two:Apollo Applications Program - responsible for launching SkyLab and the Apollo-Soyuz Test ProjectSpace Transportation System (STS) - The Space Shuttle program.
The Gemini program came first. It was a precursor to the Apollo program and its main goal was to develop the techniques needed for the Apollo missions to the moon. The Apollo program followed the Gemini program and its main objective was to land humans on the moon and bring them back safely to Earth.
The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986, where the shuttle broke apart 73 seconds after launch, resulted in the loss of seven crew members. This tragic event led to a temporary halt in the Space Shuttle program and a reevaluation of safety protocols.
The Space Shuttle program was named after the Apollo program to honor the Apollo missions that landed astronauts on the Moon. The name Apollo also had historical significance and symbolized the United States' commitment to space exploration.
The last Apollo Missions (Sky Lab) were in the early to mid 1970's. Richard Nixon was president when the Apollo Program was cancelled, so he played a prominent role. The US/NASA began development of the STS (Space Shuttle) shortly afterwards.
There were two:Apollo Applications Program - responsible for launching SkyLab and the Apollo-Soyuz Test ProjectSpace Transportation System (STS) - The Space Shuttle program.
Directly following the end of the Apollo program was the Apollo Soyuz Test Program (ASTP) which, using Apollo flight hardware, performed the first international rendezvous and docking when the ASTP crew docked with a Russian Soyuz capsule. The next true program, one that required all new hardware, was the Shuttle Transport System, (STS). Also known as the Space Shuttle.
Apollo-Soyuz, to use up remaining lunar-capable gear, such as the Apollo 18 capsule. And then there was Skylab, which used non- lunar capable rockets and capsules. Finally, there came the Space Shuttle.
The Gemini program came first. It was a precursor to the Apollo program and its main goal was to develop the techniques needed for the Apollo missions to the moon. The Apollo program followed the Gemini program and its main objective was to land humans on the moon and bring them back safely to Earth.
The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986, where the shuttle broke apart 73 seconds after launch, resulted in the loss of seven crew members. This tragic event led to a temporary halt in the Space Shuttle program and a reevaluation of safety protocols.
Sally Ride was not an astronaut on an Apollo mission; she was part of NASA's Space Shuttle program. She made history as the first American woman in space during the STS-7 mission of the Space Shuttle Challenger in June 1983. The Apollo program, which included missions to the Moon, concluded in the early 1970s, before Ride's time at NASA.
During Apollo, the capsule plummeted through the atmosphere and eventually splashed down in the ocean suspended on parachutes, then waited to be picked up by the Navy and sailed home. The Shuttle, in contrast, glided like an airplane, in controlled flight, to touchdown on a runway and roll to a stop, usually in Califormia.
Since the Apollo Program, the focus of the US Space Program has shifted towards more diverse objectives, such as the Space Shuttle program, the construction of the International Space Station, and robotic exploration like Mars rovers. There is also a greater emphasis on international collaboration and partnerships with private space companies.
The Gemini Program
The goals of NASA shifted from lunar exploration to low earth orbit where the space shuttles operate. Instead of exploring the moon, NASA changed its focus to launching commercial and military satellites, humans living long term in space initially with Skylab and on to construction of the international space station.