Is a space shuttle flown in the exosphere?

Answer 1

Since the exosphere has no specific end, and it is almost into orbit, then yes. When a space shuttle reaches orbital velocity, it is going to fly past the exosphere. A space shuttle has never attained escape velocity that I know of. It is certainly capable, though.

Also, a space shuttle can be flown in the exosphere without ever reaching orbit in some conditions. (i.e. if they launch at JFK in Florida and land at Edwards Air Base in California, because the earth moves counterclockwise. They could only be up there for a very short time, however.)

Answer 2

No, space shuttles typically fly in the thermosphere when in orbit, rather than the exosphere. The exosphere is the outermost layer of Earth's atmosphere where particles are very sparse, while the thermosphere is where most human-made satellites and space shuttles orbit.