Space Shuttle

Unlike other forms of transportation, rockets are commonly designed for putting objects into orbit. Once in sufficiently high orbit, objects have almost negligible air drag, and the orbits decay so slowly that a satellite can be still orbiting decades after launch. For these reasons rocket and space propulsion efficiency is rarely measured in terms of distance per unit of fuel, but in terms of specific impulse which gives how much change in momentum (i.e. impulse) can be obtained from a unit of propellant.

However, to give a concrete example, NASA's space shuttle fires its engines for around 8.5 minutes, consuming 1,000 tons of solid propellant (containing 16% aluminium) and an additional 2,000,000 litres of liquid propellant (106,261 kg of liquid hydrogen fuel) to lift the 100,000 kg vehicle (including the 25,000 kg payload) to an altitude of 111 km and an orbital velocity of 30,000 km/h. With a specific energy of 31MJ per kg for aluminum and 143 MJ/kg for liquid hydrogen, this means that the vehicle consumes around 5 TJ of solid propellant and 15 TJ of hydrogen fuel.

Once in orbit at 200 km and around 7.8 km/s velocity, the orbiter requires no further fuel. At this altitude and velocity, the vehicle has a kinetic energy of about 3 TJ and a potential energy of roughly 200 GJ. Given the energy input of 20 TJ, the Space Shuttle is about 16% energy efficient at launching the orbiter and payload just 4% efficiency if the payload alone is considered.

If the Space Shuttle were used to transport people or freight from a point to another on the Earth, using the theoretical largest ground distance (antipodal) flight of 20,000 km, energy usage would be about 0.04 MJ/km/kg of payload.

for more info check related link

The space shuttle Challenger was destroyed when one of the the large white Solid Rocket Boosters (aka SRB) failed. A failure in one of the SRB's joints caused a leak. That leak burned a hole in the orange External Tank (aka ET.) The leak also burned the connection of the SRB to the ET. Once that connection failed the SRB separated from the ET and pierced the upper portion of the ET. When that happened the fuel in the upper tank mixed with the fuel in the lower tank and ignited. The fireball and explosion blew the Challenger into pieces.

Yes - all of the crew remains were recovered when the Shuttle Crew Compartment was discovered during recovery operations in the weeks following the accident. It was determined from both evidence in the compartment and autopsies that several were still alive after the explosion (emergency oxygen canisters had been activated) and that they survived until impacting the ocean.

Space Shuttle Columbia is not buried. I think you mean Space Shuttle Challenger, which in buried in two minutemen missile silos on the abandoned Launch complex 31. Space Shuttle Columbia remains are stored on the 16th floor of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center.

The space shuttle only use the liquid fuel that is onboard to start the decent process. They burn their engines to slow down just enough for the earths gravity to begin pulling them back to earth. After that, they are simply big gliders.

Space shuttle Columbia broke apart on reentry on February 1, 2003.

The cost to build and launch a space shuttle was around $1.7 billion per mission. However, the overall value of a space shuttle would depend on factors such as its condition, historical significance, and potential future use. At the end of the Space Shuttle program, the shuttles were retired and donated to museums for public display.

The space shuttle Challenger disintegrated 73 seconds after liftoff on January 28, 1986, due to the failure of an O-ring seal in its right solid rocket booster. The crew, including teachers Christa McAuliffe and Sharon Christa McAuliffe, died in the explosion before the orbiter plummeted into the ocean.

This was to have happened last year, but problems were found that had to be corrected. The latest estimate is in Feb. 2011, but this is still subject to change. Check the nasa.gov website for the latest information.

Rakesh Sharma traveled to space aboard the Soviet spacecraft Soyuz T-11 in 1984, becoming the first Indian in space.

That was said by Neil Armstrong. He was the first person to step on the moon. When he said it he was stepping off the ladder of his spacecraft onto the surface of the moon. His point was it was a very small step for man (just a couple of feet or so) and it was a giant leap for mankind (meaning mankind had made a huge leap in technology that had allowed him to be on the moon in the first place.

In 2001, the first module of the International Space Station (ISS) was launched and connected in orbit. The first space tourist, Dennis Tito, also traveled to the ISS aboard a Russian spacecraft. It was a significant year for international cooperation and space exploration.

OV 104 means Orbiter Vehicle-104. NASA's fourth space-rated space shuttle, OV-104 "Atlantis," was named after the two-masted boat that served as the primary research vessel for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts from 1930 to 1966. The boat had a 17-member crew and accommodated up to five scientists who worked in two onboard laboratories, examining water samples and marine life. The crew also used the first electronic sounding devices to map the ocean floor.

Source available in related links

NASA's designation for it was Challenger 51L.

The temperature in space where a space shuttle operates can vary significantly. The side facing the sun can reach temperatures of over 250 degrees Fahrenheit, while the side in shadow can drop below -250 degrees Fahrenheit. The shuttle's thermal protection system helps manage these extreme temperature variations.

This is problematic as neither planet is stationary and both revolve around the Sun at different speeds. Additionally, one would have to take in the traveling speed of the craft, its ability to maintain that speed, its payload of fuel, whether it is intended to be a one way trip, and a myriad of other variables.

Typically, the countdown for a space shuttle launch starts at T-43 hours, culminating in the final seconds before liftoff at T-0. These final seconds involve checks and verifications to ensure all systems are ready for launch.

Yes, shuttles are commonly used to transport people, especially in airports, hotels, and other large venues where a convenient and efficient people-moving solution is needed. These shuttles are usually small buses or vans that can accommodate multiple passengers at once.

The Russian Space Station Mir which had an estimated 15 years in orbit, far longer than originally planned and then there were the earlier Salyut series of space stations which helped prepare the way for future research work of Mir and the International Space Station.

The Shuttle can also carry a 65,000 payload.

The Challenger was part of NASA's space shuttle program and its mission was to carry out a variety of activities in outer space, such as deploying satellites, conducting experiments, and performing scientific research. Its missions varied from repairing satellites to launching probes.

EVA stands for Extravehicular Activity. It refers to any activity conducted by an astronaut outside of their spacecraft while in space. During an EVA, astronauts often perform tasks such as repairs, maintenance, or scientific experiments.

The space shuttle carries tools and equipment in its cargo bay during missions. Astronauts can use airlocks or robotic arms to transfer tools from the shuttle to the International Space Station or for use during spacewalks.

It would take approximately 3 days to travel from Earth to the Moon in a space shuttle moving at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour. This estimate accounts for the distance between the Earth and the Moon, which is about 238,855 miles on average.