Space Shuttle

Kalpana Chawla flew on the space shuttle Columbia. She was part of the STS-87 mission in 1997 and the STS-107 mission in 2003, which unfortunately ended in tragedy when the Columbia disintegrated during re-entry.

A launch pad is typically made out of concrete and steel to withstand the heat, pressure, and vibrations produced during a rocket launch. It also includes various systems for fueling, power supply, and communication needed for the launch process.

Ronald McNair's full name is Ronald Ervin McNair.

The space shuttle is a reusable space vehicle; it goes into space and it comes back, and can be used again for futher missions into space. Whereas, previously space travel was done by rockets that could be used only once. The rockets would be used up after a single use. Shuttles, therefore, are the kind that can shuttle back and forth.

Spacecraft were sent to the moon to study the lunar surface, conduct experiments in a low-gravity environment, and further our understanding of the moon's geology and history. Additionally, missions like the Apollo program aimed to demonstrate human exploration beyond Earth's orbit.

Yes, a space shuttle has batteries onboard to provide power when it is not in direct sunlight or when solar panels are not providing power. These batteries are rechargeable and are used to power various systems on the shuttle.

The space shuttle carries oxygen for the astronauts to breathe. It is necessary for sustaining human life in the spacecraft since there is no atmosphere beyond Earth's atmosphere. Oxygen is also used for various life support systems and for maintaining a safe environment inside the shuttle.

Rockets can reach space by using Newton's third law of motion, which states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. By propelling fuel out of their engines at high speeds, rockets generate thrust that pushes them upwards through the atmosphere and into the vacuum of space. Additionally, rockets must reach escape velocity, typically around 25,000 mph, to break free from Earth's gravitational pull and enter orbit.

That would have to be the Voyager Project. It left the Solar System some years ago and it's still going strong.

Even while at rest on the Earth's surface, objects are actually moving due to the Earth's rotation. If a rocket launches East with Earth's rotation, it will get a free boost of extra velocity. At the equator (0 degrees latitude), an object rotates with the Earth at 1,035 miles per hour. As an object is moved closer to the poles, the speed of the spinning decreases. At the Kennedy Space Center (28.5 degrees N latitude) where the space shuttles are launched, objects rotate at about 911 miles per hour. If the space shuttles are launched eastward, they get a free 911 mph boost towards the 17,500 mph required to reach orbit. This means the shuttle can use less fuel and carry more payload. If a space shuttle launched westward, it would need to travel 911 mph faster to fight against the rotation of the Earth.

The space shuttle did not launch on the first moon adventure. The first manned mission to land on the moon was Apollo 11, and it launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 16, 1969. The space shuttle program began in 1981, and the shuttles launched from Kennedy Space Center as well.

You would need a rocket strong enough to take you through the atmosphere layers of the earth to be able to reach space. The design of the spaceship would need to be strong enough so it doesn't break while reaching high speeds. There would also need to be systems in place so the Spacemen will able to communicate with people on Earth. The spaceship would also need to have an oxygen system, food storage, and many other commodities. You would also need a lot of fuel, hundreds of thousands worth of fuel, which is illegal to get without government permission.

If you're talking about a small rocket, they sell rocket parts on the internet, you could build one with your selected parts, or get a package with all the parts. Of course, this wouldn't reach space, but usually this is how most people start designing rockets, or spaceships. Alternatively you could computer design your spaceship and send it over to a factory that can print out the design in plastic and metal (and many other materials).

The main difference between space shuttles and other space vehicles is that space shuttles are reusable spacecraft that can carry astronauts and cargo to space and return to Earth like an airplane, while other space vehicles are usually one-time use rockets that are not designed to be reused. Space shuttles also have the ability to perform missions in space and return to Earth multiple times.

America's launch pads are in Florida for two reasons.

The first reason is safety. It isn't safe to launch a rocket over land because falling debris could damage buildings or kill civilians. On some launch vehicles, such as the space shuttle, re-usable parts such as strap-on booster need to land in water because they would be destroyed if they impacted the ground.

The second reason has to do with physics. The Earth rotates eastward. As the Earth rotates, objects on Earth's surface actually travel at a very fast speed. At the equator (0 degrees latitude), objects rotate with the Earth at 1,035 miles per hour. As an object moves towards the poles, it rotates at a slower speed. At the Kennedy Space Center (28.5 degrees North latitude), objects rotate at about 911 mph. To reach orbit, a spacecraft has to reach 17,500 mph. If a spacecraft is launched eastward from Florida, it will already be traveling at 911 mph meaning it will need less fuel and have more payload capacity.

The last planned space shuttle was the Atlantis

The first US space station was named Skylab. It was launched by NASA in 1973 and remained in orbit until 1979.

Xenon ions were used as a propellant aboard the space probe Deep Space 1. The ion propulsion system enabled the probe to achieve impressive speeds and fuel efficiency during its mission.

The actual space shuttle orbiter can be used lots of times, unless it is damaged too badly during re-entery, like Columbia. Columbia differentiated during re-entery, because it was not at the proper angle it must be-180 degrees.

But to answer your question, yes. The Solid Rocket Boosters (S.O.B.s) will detach during late flight, and parachute into the Atlantic, where it is recovered by nearby coast guards / Navy Seals. So is the external fuel tank.

The average cost of a space shuttle launch is approx $450 million. That is if we limit our costs to the resources used up by each launch and we ignore the investment costs.

If we want to include investment costs then, with the entire space shuttle programme, costing somewhere in the region of $150 billion and there being something like 125 full launches we get an average cost of approx $1.2 billion, you would be pretty safe to say that each launch has cost the USA somewhere between $1 billion and $1.5 billion.

The bottom of a ship is made heavy to lower the ship's center of gravity and increase stability. This helps prevent capsizing and improves the ship's overall seaworthiness in rough seas. Additionally, the weight at the bottom provides ballast to counterbalance the weight of cargo and equipment on board.

Space Shuttle Atlantis docked with the Russian space station Mir in 1995. This mission, known as STS-71, marked the first shuttle mission to dock with a space station.

There have been 134 operational launches with one more planned launch.

See related link for a full list.

The space shuttle that exploded over Texas on January 28, 1986, was the Challenger. A faulty O-ring in one of the solid rocket boosters caused the shuttle to break apart 73 seconds after liftoff, resulting in the tragic loss of all seven crew members.

Challenger exploded in 1986. It was January 28 at 11:39 in the morning.