What is a shuttle? History of creation and photos. History of the space shuttle A short and lyrical digression

Today we will tell you how to make a smaller one from a simple sheet of paper. space shuttle model - Shuttle.

We hope that Paper shuttle will be a good addition to previously published folding instructions.

Reference: The Shuttle is an American reusable spacecraft that was used to deliver cargo into Earth orbit. From 1981 to 2011, the American space agency NASSA created five shuttles.

Making a paper shuttle

In order to make a flying model of the Shuttle from paper, you will need a regular rectangular sheet of A-4 size paper, which will need to be folded according to the instructions given:

1. Fold a piece of paper in half, as in the picture below.

   Fold the sheet in half

2. Then, measure 4 cm from the lower right corner and make a bend line that should be tucked into the middle.

   

   Now fold the right corner

3. After this, we move on to making the wings; to do this, you need to step back 2 cm from the lower left corner and bend the two wings.

   

   Back off 2 cm and bend the wings

4. Now bend the edges of the wings as in the picture below.

   

   Bend the edges of the wings

5. Rotate the shuttle as shown and bend the wings flush with the ship's hull.

   

   We bend our wings again

6. Bend the wings again, but this time upward.

   

   And once again we bend our wings

7. Shuttle - READY!

   

To make the paper shuttle more neat and beautiful, we suggest printing out the following diagram of a paper shuttle.

Watch the video master class “How to make a paper shuttle”.

What is a shuttle? This is a flying design of American manufacturers. The word "shuttle" itself means "shuttle". Designed for repeated launches, the shuttles were originally intended to fly back and forth between Earth and its orbit to deliver cargo.

The article will be devoted to shuttles - spacecraft, as well as all other shuttles that exist today.

History of creation

Before answering the question of what a shuttle is, let's consider the history of its creation. It begins in the late 60s of the 20th century in the USA, when the question of designing a reusable space mechanism was raised. This was due to economic benefits. Intensive use of the space shuttle was supposed to reduce the high costs of space.

The concept provided for the formation of an orbital point on the Moon, and missions in Earth orbit were to be carried out by reusable vessels called the Space Shuttle.

In 1972, documents were signed that determined the appearance of the future shuttle.

The design program has been prepared by North American Rockwell on behalf of NASA since 1971. During the development of the program, technological ideas from the Apollo system were used. Five shuttles were designed, two of which did not survive the crashes. Flights were carried out from 1981 to 2011.

According to NASA plans, 24 launches were to be carried out annually, and each board was to perform up to 100 flights. But during the work, only 135 launches were completed. The Discovery shuttle distinguished itself by the largest number of flights.

System design

Let's look at what a shuttle is from the point of view of its design. It is launched via a pair of rocket boosters and three engines supplied with fuel from an impressively sized external tank.

Maneuvers in orbit are performed using engines of a special system designed for orbital maneuvers. This system includes the following steps:

• Two rocket boosters that operate for two minutes from the moment they are turned on. They give direction to the ship, then detach from it and fly into the ocean using parachutes. After refueling, the boosters are put back into operation.
• Refueling tank with hydrogen and oxygen supply for main engines. The tank is also thrown away, but a little later - after 8.5 minutes. Almost all of it burns in the atmosphere, and its fragments end up in the oceanic space.
• A manned vessel that lands in orbit and houses the crew and assists in scientific research. Having completed the program, the orbital vehicle flies to Earth and lands like a glider on the area allocated for landing.

Externally, the shuttle looks like an airplane, but, in fact, it is a heavy glider. The shuttle has no fuel reserves for its engines. The engines operate while the shuttle is connected to the fuel tank. While in space, as well as during landing, the ship uses not very powerful small engines. It was planned to equip the shuttle with jet engines, but the idea was abandoned due to the high cost.

The lifting force of the ship is low; landing occurs due to kinetic energy. The ship goes from orbit to the cosmodrome. That is, he only has one chance to land. Unfortunately, there is no opportunity to turn around and make a second circle. For this reason, NASA has built several reserve sites for landing aircraft.

Operating principles of accelerators

Side boosters are large, super-powerful solid-propellant devices that produce thrust to lift the shuttle away from the launch area and fly to an altitude of 46 km. Accelerator dimensions:

• 45.5 m long;
• 3.7 m - diameter;
• 580 thousand kg - mass.

It is not possible to stop the boosters after starting, so they are turned on after the other three engines start properly. 75 seconds after launch, the boosters separate from the system, fly by inertia, reach maximum altitude, and then land in the ocean using parachutes at a distance of approximately 226 km from the launch. In this case, the landing speed is 23 m/s. Technical service specialists collect the accelerators and send them to the manufacturing plant, where they are refurbished for reuse. Repair and reconstruction of shuttles are also explained by economic considerations, because creating a new ship is much more expensive.

Functions performed

According to the military’s requirements, the aircraft was supposed to deliver cargo up to 30 tons, and deliver cargo up to 14.5 tons to Earth. For this, the cargo compartment had to have dimensions of 18 meters in length and 4.5 m in diameter.

The space program did not set as its goal “bomber” operations. Neither NASA, nor the Pentagon, nor the US Congress confirm such information. The Dyna-Soar project was developed for bombing purposes. However, over time, intelligence activities were carried out within the framework of the project. Gradually, Dyna-Soar became a research project, and in 1963 it was completely canceled. Many of Dyna-Soar's results carried over into the shuttle project.

The shuttles delivered cargo to altitudes of 200-500 km, they carried out many scientific developments, serviced spacecraft at orbital points, and were engaged in assembly and restoration work. The shuttles carried out flights to repair telescopic equipment.

In the 90s, the shuttles participated in the Mir-Shuttle program, conducted jointly by Russia and the United States. Nine dockings with the Mir station were carried out.

The design of the shuttles was constantly improved. Over the entire period of use of ships, thousands of devices have been developed.

The shuttles helped in the implementation of the formation project. Many modules on the ISS were delivered using the shuttles. Some of these modules are not equipped with engines, and therefore are not capable of autonomous movement and maneuvering. To deliver them to the station, you need a cargo ship or shuttle. The role of the shuttles in this direction cannot be overestimated.

Some interesting data

The average stay of a spacecraft in space is two weeks. The shortest flight was carried out by the Columbia shuttle, it lasted a little longer than two days. The longest voyage of the Columbia ship was 17 days.

The crew consists of two to eight astronauts, including a pilot and commander. The shuttle orbits ranged from 185,643 km.

The Space Shuttle program was canceled in 2011. It existed for 30 years. Over the entire period of its operation, 135 flights were made. The shuttles covered 872 million km and lifted cargo with a total weight of 1.6 thousand tons. 355 astronauts visited orbit. The cost of one flight was approximately $450 million. The total cost of the entire program was $160 billion.

The last launch was the launch of Atlantis. In it, the crew was reduced to four people.

As a result of the project, all shuttles were canceled and sent to a museum storage facility.

Disasters

Space shuttles have suffered only two disasters in their entire history.

In 1986, the Challenger exploded 73 seconds after launch. The cause was an accident in a solid fuel accelerator. The entire crew died - seven people. The wreckage of the shuttle burned up in the atmosphere. Following the crash, the program was suspended for 32 months.

In 2003, the space shuttle Columbia burned down. The cause was the destruction of the ship's heat-protective shell. The entire crew died - seven people.

The Soviet leadership closely monitored the process of implementing the program to create and implement the American space shuttles. This project was perceived as a threat from the United States. It has been suggested that:

• shuttles can be used as platforms for nuclear weapons;
• American shuttles can steal Soviet Union satellites from earth orbit.

As a result, the Soviet government decided to build its own space mechanism, with parameters not inferior to the American one.

In addition to the Soviet Union, many countries, following the United States, began to design their own multiple spacecraft. These are Germany, France, Japan, China.

Following the American ship, the Buran shuttle was created in the Soviet Union. It was intended to perform military and peaceful tasks.

At first, the ship was conceived as an exact copy of the American invention. But during the development process some difficulties arose, so Soviet designers had to look for their own solutions. One of the obstacles was the lack of engines similar to the American ones. More precisely, in the USSR, engines had completely different technical parameters.

The Buran flight took place in 1988. This happened under the control of the on-board computer. The landing of the shuttle determined the success of the flight, which many high-ranking officials did not believe in. The fundamental difference between the Buran and the American shuttles was that the Soviet counterpart was able to land on its own. American ships did not have such an opportunity.

Design Features

"Buran" had an impressive size, like its overseas counterparts. The cabin accommodated ten people.

An important design feature was the heat-protective shell, the weight of which was over 7 tons.

The spacious cargo compartment could accommodate large cargo, including space satellites.

The launch of the ship was a two-stage process. First, four missiles and engines were separated from the ship. The second stage is engines with oxygen and hydrogen.

When creating Buran, one of the main requirements was its reusability. Only the fuel tank was disposable. American boosters had the opportunity to splash down in the ocean. Soviet accelerators landed in the steppes near Baikonur, so their secondary use was not possible.

The second feature of the Buran was that the engines were located on the fuel tank and therefore burned out in the air. The designers were faced with the task of making the engines reusable, which could reduce the cost of the space exploration program.

If you look at the shuttle (the photo shows it) and its Soviet counterpart, you get the impression that these ships are identical. But this is only an external similarity with the fundamental internal differences between the two systems.

So, we looked at what a shuttle is. But these days, this word refers not only to ships for extraterrestrial flights. The idea of ​​the shuttle was embodied in many inventions of science and technology.

Car-ship

Honda released a car called the Shuttle. It was originally produced for the USA and given the name Odyssey. This free car was a success in the New World due to its excellent technical parameters.

The Honda Shuttle was released directly for Europe. At first, this was the name given to the Honda Civic station wagon, which resembled a microvan. But in 1991 it was removed from a number of produced modifications. The name "Shuttle" remained unclaimed. And only in 1994, Japanese machine builders released a new minivan with that name. Why the manufacturers decided to settle on such a model name, one can only guess. Perhaps the idea of ​​a fast space shuttle struck the car creators, and they wanted to create a unique fast car.

The Shuttle is a 5-door station wagon with high cross-country ability. The body has rounded corners, most of the surface is glazed. The salon is distinguished by the possibility of transformation. The seats are arranged in three rows, the last one is retracted into a niche. The cabin has air conditioning, comfortable seats with plenty of space.

The car is extremely comfortable while driving thanks to the energy-intensive front and rear suspension. The Shuttle successfully copes with the tasks assigned on the road. However, there were no more deliveries of this model to Europe; its place was taken by the Honda Stream.

Developing in 2011, it begins production of the Fit Shuttle line. The line is based on the Honda Fit hatchback.

The car has a 1.5 liter unit and a 1.3 liter hybrid. Both front- and rear-wheel drive vehicles are produced.

The Honda Fit Shuttle is characterized as an economical, spacious, ergonomic and comfortable car on the road. The car drives great on the streets of big cities. It is suitable for family holidays and for business.

The Honda Fit Shuttle is equipped to meet the highest safety requirements. It contains airbags, ABS, ESP.

"Fit Shuttle" is still very popular among car owners and has the highest ratings.

Together with children

You can take a flight on the star shuttle with your child by turning on the image and purchasing a Lego toy. The first space-themed set was released by the company back in 1973. It was a game in the form of a constructor. Since then, several series of “space” sets have been produced, belonging to different price levels.

The popular set with article number 60078 includes:

• service shuttle;
• space satellite;
• astronaut figures;
• stickers;
• assembly information.

The packaging depicts a spaceship, astronauts, planet Earth and its satellite - the Moon. In Lego, the shuttle is the main element of the set. It is made of white parts with dark inserts and bright red stripes. Its cabin can accommodate two astronaut figures. There are two of them in the set - a man and a woman. In the ship they sit next to each other. To get into the cabin, you need to remove its top part.

The Lego Shuttle set has become the desired embodiment of the dreams of everyone who dreams of ideas of space wars. Its main component is not a fictional ship, but a completely realistic one. The space shuttle receives positive reviews about itself; it strongly resembles authentic American ships that roamed the expanses of space. With this unique set, you can plunge into the world of space travel and flights together with your child. Moreover, you can play not only with boys, but also with girls, because it’s not for nothing that the set includes a female astronaut figure.

Stolen ship

The Lego company also created the Tydirium shuttle, which reminds us of numerous episodes of Star Wars. In total, the company has produced six such ships since 2001. They all differ in size.

The Imperial shuttle was stolen by the rebels, and now it is necessary to return it. Exciting adventures with the heroes of star travel await little players.

The set includes minifigures: Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Rebels - 2 pcs. The shuttle itself is made in white with gray inserts. The cockpit fits two figures and opens through the top of the nose. There is a cargo compartment behind the cab. Manufacturers say the shuttle assembly process could take 2 to 6 hours. With the help of minifigures, you can play out many exciting scenes.

Space games for computer

Bethesda, inspired by the idea of ​​exploring outer space, released the game Prey for consoles and computers with an interesting plot. It is based on a non-existent reality in which American President John Kennedy remained alive after the assassination attempt and began to intensively develop space exploration projects.

Aliens from outer space are attacking planet Earth. They are called typhons. The USA and USSR are joining forces in the fight against enemy forces. But the USSR is collapsing, and only the United States has to eliminate the Typhons. Scientists can control the brains of aliens and also gain their abilities.

One of the missions of the game is to get on the shuttle. For many this is a real problem.

Experienced players have conquered the shuttle in Prey and are giving advice to newcomers. In order to climb onto the ship, you need to go down to one of the lower rooms and find the key card there. The key helps you open the door and find the elevator. You need to go up the elevator, find a terminal there, which is activated, after which a bridge appears. Using the bridge they get on the shuttle.

Bus options

Nowadays, shuttles are called not only spaceships in reality and in games, but also bus transport. As a rule, these are fast buses that deliver passengers from the airport to the hotel, to the metro station, or vice versa. It can also be corporate transport that transports passengers to various events. The shuttle schedule is prepared in advance. As a rule, they run quite frequently, which is extremely convenient.

So, we have analyzed the ambiguous word “shuttle”, considered all the areas in which it is used, and also cited fascinating stories associated with the space shuttles.

Space Shuttle program

Space shuttle. It was assumed that it would scurry from Earth to orbit and back like a loom shuttle. The shuttle program began in 1971. In 1975, a prototype (not flown into space) Enterprise was built, then 5 more were built - Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavor. The first shuttle Columbia launched on April 12, 1981, the last - Atlantis - on July 8, 2011. Two shuttles died - Challenger (January 28, 1986, at launch) and Columbia (February 1, 2003, during landing). In total, only 135 launches were carried out over the life of the program, although 32 launches per year and 100 launches per shuttle were initially planned.

A small and lyrical digression.

My wife and I are very interested in space, and my wife is probably even more interested in space than me. Once, while browsing one of the websites on space topics, we saw this model for sale. It was the presence of the launch pad that captivated me. I decided to turn to modeling again (for the fourth time). The first time it happened was 35 years ago. I glued together all the Ogonyok tanks that were on sale. The next approach was 5 years later - airplanes from Frog. Then I even painted one in camouflage with a borrowed airbrush. Then I had to fight for a place in the sun and there was no time for modeling. About 10 years later I started collecting models with my child, but he grew up, somehow he wasn’t interested in modeling and I had to cancel this event (they took away my workplace). And then came the fourth attempt... I bought paints, chemicals, an airbrush with a compressor, and, of course, cats of varying complexity (because I was scared to assemble this model). Although, now, the model does not seem very complicated to me, there are just a lot of details.

Purchase

While I was preparing and training (in fact, I made a big mistake in choosing the first models and almost gave up this activity), the model disappeared on that space website - apparently they bought it, despite the price of 15,900 rubles. I started looking. As if it was available on one single model site (in Russia). Ordered. A letter came that they would look for her. I asked if they would find it - they answered that everything would be fine, just wait until there was delivery. Having studied the situation, I realized that if Revell releases it again, it won’t be at all quickly - there was no model on the Revell website, especially since Revell positioned it as a Limited Edition. I had to look further and found it only on ebay somewhere in Germany in a small model store. Ordered and paid on February 5th. On February 22, from the post office (in fact, I’m very afraid to contact my post office - I once ordered from the States - so they managed to send two parcels back, despite the fact that I went every other day and asked) I received an SMS about the arrival of the parcel, and in non-working hours for mail. On February 24, in the morning I rushed to receive it. Everything cost - $169.98 model + $24.99 shipping. In rubles - the bank wrote off 15,302 rubles.

Model

The box with the model in the photo was also packed in a branded Revell box made of thick cardboard and covered with another box on top. The contents were not damaged, although the outer box was damaged in several places. Next I will only talk about the box with the picture.

Box size - 752x514x120 mm. As a scale, I took a photo with a small 35 scale “Stars” box (they pack little soldiers and other little things in there). The box is divided into three parts, as are the instructions - launcher, shuttle and booster. The box contains 21 launch pad sprues, 4 shuttle sprues, 4 launch vehicle sprues (all white), and 1 clear sprue with stand and shuttle glazing. Also in the box there was an advertisement for additional equipment for a model from LVM Studios, but at their price I am developing amphibiotrophic asphyxia (last photo).

There are also sink marks and flash. There are many marks from the pushers, but it is not yet clear whether they will be visible. I haven't checked the connectivity yet. Moreover, the quality varies depending on the “part” of the model. The most terrible thing is the shuttle itself, then the launch vehicle, and, the best, the launch complex.
In general, the model evokes rather contradictory feelings - it is some kind of “toy”. No, the details seem to be clear, but apparently some little things are missing, large and flat spaces “without nothing” look very strange.

Decals allow you to assemble Discovery before 1998 and in 2011, Endeavor 1998 / after 1998, as well as Anlantis and Enterprise.

Most likely, I will collect Atlantis, as the last of the shuttles.

May 3rd, 2016

One of the main elements of the exhibition at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (Udvar Hazy Center) is the space shuttle Discovery. Actually, this hangar was primarily built to accommodate NASA spacecraft after the completion of the Space Shuttle program. During the period of active use of shuttles, the Enterprise training ship was exhibited at the Udvar Hazy Center, used for atmospheric testing and as a weight-dimensional model before the creation of the first, truly space shuttle, Columbia.

Space shuttle Discovery. During its 27 years of service, this shuttle traveled to space 39 times.

Ships built as part of the Space Transportation System program
Ship diagram

Unfortunately, most of the agency's ambitious plans never came true. The landing on the Moon solved all the political problems of the United States in space at that time, and flights into deep space were of no practical interest. And public interest began to fade. Who can immediately remember the name of the third man on the moon? At the time of the last flight of the Apollo spacecraft under the Soyuz-Apollo program in 1975, funding for the American space agency was radically reduced by the decision of President Richard Nixon.

The US had more pressing concerns and interests on Earth. As a result, further American manned flights were in question. Lack of funding and increased solar activity also led to NASA losing the Skylab station, a project that was far ahead of its time and had advantages even over today’s ISS. The agency simply did not have the ships and carriers to raise its orbit in time, and the station burned up in the atmosphere.

Space Shuttle Discovery - nose section
Visibility from the cockpit is quite limited. The nose jets of the attitude control engines are also visible.

All that NASA managed to do at that time was to present the space shuttle program as economically feasible. The Space Shuttle was supposed to take on the responsibility of providing manned flights, launching satellites, as well as their repair and maintenance. NASA promised to take over all spacecraft launches, including military and commercial ones, which, through the use of a reusable spacecraft, could make the project self-sufficiency subject to several dozen launches per year.

Space Shuttle Discovery - wing and power panel
At the back of the shuttle, near the engines, you can see the power panel through which the ship was connected to the launch pad; at the moment of launch, the panel was separated from the shuttle.

Looking ahead, I will say that the project never reached self-sufficiency, but on paper everything looked quite smooth (perhaps it was intended to be so), so money was allocated for the construction and provision of ships. Unfortunately, NASA did not have the opportunity to build a new station; all the heavy Saturn rockets were spent in the lunar program (the latter launched Skylab), and there were no funds for the construction of new ones. Without a space station, the Space Shuttle had a fairly limited time in orbit (no more than 2 weeks).

In addition, the dV reserves of the reusable ship were much smaller than those of the disposable Soviet Union or the American Apollo. As a result, the Space Shuttle was only able to enter low orbits (up to 643 km); in many ways, it was this fact that predetermined that to this day, 42 years later, the last manned flight into deep space was and remains the Apollo 17 mission.

The fastenings of the cargo compartment doors are clearly visible. They are quite small and relatively fragile, since the cargo compartment was opened only in zero gravity.

Space Shuttle Endeavor with open cargo bay. Immediately behind the crew cabin, the docking port for operation as part of the ISS is visible.

The space shuttles were capable of lifting into orbit a crew of up to 8 people and, depending on the inclination of the orbit, from 12 to 24.4 tons of cargo. And, what is important, to lower cargo weighing up to 14.4 tons and above from orbit, provided that they fit into the cargo compartment of the ship. Soviet and Russian spacecraft still do not have such capabilities. When NASA published data on the payload capacity of the Space Shuttle cargo bay, the Soviet Union seriously considered the idea of ​​stealing Soviet orbital stations and vehicles by Space Shuttle ships. It was even proposed to equip Soviet manned stations with weapons to protect against a possible attack by a shuttle.

Nozzles of the ship's attitude control system. Traces from the ship's last entry into the atmosphere are clearly visible on the thermal lining.

The Space Shuttle ships were actively used for orbital launches of unmanned vehicles, in particular the Hubble Space Telescope. The presence of a crew and the possibility of repair work in orbit made it possible to avoid shameful situations in the spirit of Phobos-Grunt. The Space Shuttle also worked with space stations under the World-Space Shuttle program in the early 90s and until recently delivered modules for the ISS, which did not need to be equipped with their own propulsion system. Due to the high cost of flights, the ship was unable to fully ensure crew rotation and supply of the ISS (as conceived by the developers, its main task).

Space Shuttle Discovery - ceramic lining.
Each cladding tile has its own serial number and designation. Unlike the USSR, where ceramic cladding tiles were made in reserve for the Buran program, NASA built a workshop where a special machine automatically produced tiles of the required sizes using a serial number. After each flight, several hundred of these tiles had to be replaced.

Ship flight diagram

1. Start - ignition of the propulsion systems of stages I and II, flight control is carried out by deflecting the thrust vector of the shuttle engines, and up to an altitude of about 30 kilometers, additional control is provided by deflecting the steering wheel. There is no manual control during the take-off phase; the ship is controlled by a computer, similar to a conventional rocket.

2. The separation of solid propellant boosters occurs at 125 seconds of flight when a speed of 1390 m/s is reached and a flight altitude of about 50 km. To avoid damaging the shuttle, they are separated using eight small solid-fuel rocket engines. At an altitude of 7.6 km, the boosters open the braking parachute, and at an altitude of 4.8 km, the main parachutes open. At 463 seconds from the moment of launch and at a distance of 256 km from the launch site, the solid fuel boosters splash down, after which they are towed to the shore. In most cases, the boosters were able to be refilled and reused.

Video recording of a flight into space from cameras of solid fuel boosters.

3. At 480 seconds of flight, the outboard fuel tank (orange) separates; given the speed and altitude of the separation, salvage and reuse of the fuel tank would require equipping it with the same thermal protection as the shuttle itself, which was ultimately considered impractical . Along a ballistic trajectory, the tank falls into the Pacific or Indian Ocean, collapsing in the dense layers of the atmosphere.
4. The orbital vehicle enters low-Earth orbit using the attitude control system engines.
5. Execution of the orbital flight program.
6. Retrograde impulse with hydrazine attitude thrusters, deorbiting.
7. Planning in the earth's atmosphere. Unlike the Buran, landing is carried out only manually, so the ship could not fly without a crew.
8. Landing at the cosmodrome, the ship lands at a speed of about 300 kilometers per hour, which is much higher than the landing speed of conventional aircraft. To reduce the braking distance and the load on the landing gear, brake parachutes open immediately after touching down.

Propulsion system. The shuttle's tail can bifurcate, acting as an air brake during the final stages of landing.

Despite the external similarity, a spaceplane has very little in common with an airplane; it is rather a very heavy glider. The shuttle does not have its own fuel reserves for its main engines, so the engines only work while the ship is connected to the orange fuel tank (this is also why the engines are mounted asymmetrically). In space and during landing, the ship uses only low-power attitude control engines and two hydrazine-fuelled sustainer engines (small engines on the sides of the main ones).

There were plans to equip the Space Shuttle with jet engines, but due to the high cost and the reduced payload of the ship with the weight of engines and fuel, they decided to abandon jet engines. The lifting force of the ship's wings is small, and the landing itself is carried out solely by using the kinetic energy of deorbiting. In fact, the ship was gliding from orbit directly to the cosmodrome. For this reason, the ship has only one attempt to land; the shuttle will no longer be able to turn around and go into the second circle. So NASA has built several backup shuttle landing strips around the world.

Space Shuttle Discovery - crew hatch.
This door is used for boarding and disembarking crew members. The hatch is not equipped with an airlock and is blocked in space. The crew performed spacewalks and docking with Mir and the ISS through an airlock in the cargo compartment on the “back” of the ship.

Sealed suit for take-off and landing of the space shuttle.

The first test flights of the shuttles were equipped with ejection seats, which made it possible to leave the ship in an emergency, but then the catapult was removed. There was also one of the emergency landing scenarios, when the crew left the ship by parachute at the last stage of descent. The suit's distinctive orange color was chosen to facilitate rescue operations in the event of an emergency landing. Unlike a space suit, this suit does not have a heat distribution system and is not intended for spacewalks. In the event of a complete depressurization of the ship, even with a pressurized suit, the chances of surviving at least a few hours are slim.

Space Shuttle Discovery - chassis and ceramic lining of the bottom and wing.

Space suit for work in outer space of the Space Shuttle program.

Disasters
Of the 5 ships built, 2 died along with the entire crew.

Space Shuttle Challenger disaster mission STS-51L

On January 28, 1986, the Challenger shuttle exploded 73 seconds after liftoff due to an O-ring failure on the solid rocket booster. A jet of fire burst through a crack, melting the fuel tank and causing an explosion of liquid hydrogen and oxygen reserves. The crew apparently survived the explosion itself, but the cabin was not equipped with parachutes or other means of escape and crashed into the water.

After the Challenger disaster, NASA developed several procedures for rescuing the crew during takeoff and landing, but none of these scenarios would still have been able to save the Challenger crew, even if it had been provided for.

Space Shuttle Columbia disaster mission STS-107
The wreckage of the space shuttle Columbia burns up in the atmosphere.

A section of the wing's edge thermal sheathing was damaged during launch two weeks earlier, when a piece of insulating foam covering the fuel tank fell off (the tank is filled with liquid oxygen and hydrogen, so the insulating foam prevents ice formation and reduces fuel evaporation). This fact was noticed, but not given due importance, based on the fact that in any case, the astronauts could do little. As a result, the flight proceeded normally until the re-entry stage on February 1, 2003.

It is clearly visible here that the heat shield only covers the edge of the wing. (This is where the Columbia was damaged.)

Under the influence of high temperatures, the thermal lining tiles collapsed and at an altitude of about 60 kilometers, high-temperature plasma broke into the aluminum structures of the wing. A few seconds later the wing collapsed at a speed of about Mach 10, the ship lost stability and was destroyed by aerodynamic forces. Before Discovery appeared in the museum’s exhibition, the Enterprise (a training shuttle that only made atmospheric flights) was exhibited at the same place.

The commission investigating the incident cut out a fragment of the wing of the museum exhibit for examination. A special cannon was used to shoot pieces of foam along the edge of the wing and assess the damage. It was this experiment that helped to come to an unambiguous conclusion about the causes of the disaster. The human factor also played a large role in the tragedy; NASA employees underestimated the damage sustained by the ship during the launch phase.

A simple survey of the wing in outer space could reveal the damage, but the control center did not give the crew such a command, believing that the problem could be solved upon returning to Earth, and even if the damage was irreversible, the crew would still be unable to do anything and there was no point in worrying the astronauts in vain. Although this was not the case, the Atlantis shuttle was preparing for launch, which could be used for a rescue operation. An emergency protocol that will be adopted in all subsequent flights.

Among the wreckage of the ship, we managed to find a video recording that the astronauts recorded during reentry. Officially, the recording ends a few minutes before the disaster begins, but I strongly suspect that NASA decided not to publish the last seconds of the astronauts' lives for ethical reasons. The crew did not know about the death that threatened them; looking at the plasma raging outside the ship’s windows, one of the astronauts joked, “I wouldn’t want to be outside right now,” not knowing that this is exactly what the entire crew was waiting for in just a few minutes. Life is full of dark irony.

Termination of the program

Space Shuttle program end logo (left) and commemorative coin (right). The coins are made from metal that was sent into space as part of the first mission of the space shuttle Columbia STS-1

The death of the space shuttle Columbia raised a serious question about the safety of the remaining 3 ships, which by that time had been in operation for over 25 years. As a result, subsequent flights began to take place with a reduced crew, and another shuttle was always kept in reserve, ready for launch, which could carry out a rescue operation. Combined with the US government's shifting emphasis on commercial space exploration, these factors led to the program's demise in 2011. The last shuttle flight was the launch of Atlantis to the ISS on July 8, 2011.

The Space Shuttle program has made enormous contributions to space exploration and the development of knowledge and experience about operating in orbit. Without the Space Shuttle, construction of the ISS would be completely different and would hardly be close to completion today. On the other hand, there is an opinion that the Space Shuttle program has held NASA back for the last 35 years, requiring large costs to maintain the shuttles: the cost of one flight was about 500 million dollars, for comparison, the launch of each Soyuz cost only 75-100.

The ships consumed funds that could have been used for the development of interplanetary programs and more promising areas in the exploration and development of space. For example, the construction of a more compact and cheaper reusable or disposable ship, for those missions where the 100-ton Space Shuttle was simply not needed. Had NASA abandoned the Space Shuttle, the development of the US space industry could have gone completely differently.

How exactly, it is now difficult to say, perhaps NASA simply had no choice and without the shuttles, America’s civilian space exploration could have stopped altogether. One thing can be said with confidence: to date, the Space Shuttle has been and remains the only example of a successful reusable space system. The Soviet Buran, although it was built as a reusable spacecraft, went into space only once, however, that’s a completely different story.

Taken from Lennikov in Virtual tour of the Smithsonian National Aerospace Museum: Part Two

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From its first launch 30 years ago to its final flight, NASA's spacecraft has seen moments of highs and lows. This program has completed up to 135 flights, delivering more than 350 people and thousands of tons of materials and equipment into low-Earth orbit. Flights were risky, sometimes extremely dangerous. Indeed, over the years, 14 shuttle astronauts have died.

During a visit to watch the Apollo launch, April 16 to April 15, 1972, Russian poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko (left) listens as Kennedy Space Center Director Dr. Kurt H. explains the space shuttle programs

Mockup of the proposed Shuttle wing space configuration. The photo was taken on March 28, 1975.

This is a November 6, 1975 photo of a mock-up of the spacecraft attached to a 747 carrier in a wind tunnel.

Some of the cast of the television series Star Trek attended the first showing of America's first spaceship, in Palmdale, California, on September 17, 1976. From left are Leonard Nimoy, George Takei, Forest Kelly and James Doohan.

An inside look at the hydrogen tank destined for the space shuttle on February 1, 1977. At 154 meters long and more than 27 feet in diameter, the external tank is the largest component of the spacecraft, the structural backbone of the entire Shuttle system.

A technician works with sensors installed at the back of a mock-up spacecraft on February 15, 1977.

At the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a mock-up of the spacecraft, dubbed Pathfinder, is attached to a device that is being tested on October 19, 1978. The mockup, built at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, had the overall dimensions, weight and balance of a real space shuttle.

NASA's Space Shuttle Carrier prototype 747 flies after liftoff from the dry bed of Rogers Lake on the second of five free flights conducted at Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, since January 1, 1977.

Shuttle Columbia arrives at Launch Complex 39A in preparation for the STS-1 mission at Kennedy Space Center, December 29, 1980.

Looking at the spacecraft's instruments in NASA's Orbiter 102 Columbia, astronauts John Young (left) and Robert Crippen prepare the spacecraft for tests that will take place during the orbiter's test flight at Kennedy Space Center on October 10, 1980.

Flight Director Charles R. Lewis (left) examines a graph display on a monitor in the flight operations control area (MOCR) at the Johnson Space Center Mission Control Center, in April 1981.

Two solid rocket boosters are jettisoned from the space shuttle Columbia as a successful launch. Spaceflight has continued this way since 1975. April 12, 1981

Shuttle Columbia on the dry bed of Rogers Lake at Edwards AFB after landing completed its first orbital mission on April 14, 1981.

Shuttle Columbia on top of a NASA Boeing 747 at Edwards Air Force Base, California, November 25, 1981

Night launch of the Space Shuttle Columbia, during the twenty-fourth mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program, January 12, 1986

Astronaut Sally Ride, STS-7 specialist, monitors control panels in the pilot's seat on the space shuttle Challenger flight deck on June 25, 1983.

The Space Shuttle Enterprise is transported over a slope that has been widened to avoid hitting its wings at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, on February 1, 1985. The orbiter is being transported to the space launch complex, carrying six specially designed 76-wheel transporters.

General view of the spacecraft in the launch position at Space Launch Complex (SLC) No. 6, ready for launch checkout to verify launch procedures at Vandenberg Air Force Base, on February 1, 1985

Space shuttle Discovery, at Edwards Air Force Base in California, after completing its 26th space mission.

Christa McAuliffe tries out the commander's seat on the flight deck of a shuttle simulator at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, on September 13, 1985. McAuliffe was scheduled to fly into space on the space shuttle Challenger in January 1986, which ended in tragedy

Ice on the equipment at Launch Pad 39-B, January 27, 1986 at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, causing the ill-fated Challenger launch

Spectators in the VIP area at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, watch the Space Shuttle Challenger take off from pad 39-B on January 28, 1986, on its final flight, which ended in tragedy.

The space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff from Kennedy Space Center. The hull containing a crew of seven, including the first teacher in space, was destroyed, killing everyone on board.

Spectators at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, after witnessing the explosion of the Challenger shuttle on January 28, 1986.

Space Shuttle Columbia (left), slated for takeoff on STS-35, passes the Atlantis spacecraft on its way to Pad 39A. Atlantis, scheduled for mission STS-38, parked in front of the bay to repair liquid hydrogen lines

A Florida Air National Guard F-15C Eagle performs a patrol mission for the Space Shuttle Endeavor as it launches from Cape Canaveral, Florida, December 5, 2001.

The nose of the Space Shuttle Atlantis, seen from the Russian space station Mir on the STS-71 mission, June 29, 1995.

Cosmonaut Valery Vladimirovich Polyakov, who was at the station on January 8, 1994, comes out to open the spacecraft

Specialist Bruce McCandless II, flew further from the space shuttle Challenger than any previous astronaut February 12, 1984 photos

Testing of the Shuttle main engine at the Marshall Space Flight Center test facility, in Huntsville, Alabama, December 22, 1993

Astronaut Joseph R. Tanner, STS-82 mission specialist, performs a spacewalk to conduct photographic film experiments on February 16, 1997.

The two components of the International Space Station are connected to each other on December 6, 1998. The Russian FGB, also called Zarya, is approached by the Space Shuttle Endeavor

During the first Iraq War, in April 1991, black smoke from burning oil wells in the Kuwaiti desert was seen from the space shuttle Atlantis during the STS-37 mission. The Iraqi army set fire to oil wells in Kuwait when it left the country.

Space Shuttle Endeavor (STS-134) makes its final landing at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on June 1, 2011.

Plumes of smoke and steam alternate with fiery light during the launch of the space shuttle Endeavor at NASA Kennedy Space Center at 39A in July 2009.

The external fuel tank of Shuttle ET-118, which departed in September 2006, was photographed by astronauts aboard the shuttle about 21 minutes after takeoff.

A training model of the Shuttle is parachuted into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida, where it will be recovered by ships, returned to land, and refitted for reuse.

While astronauts and cosmonauts are often faced with striking scenes, this unique image has the added feature of being framed by the silhouette of the space shuttle Endeavor.

NASA shuttle Columbia on a Boeing 747 flies from Palmdale, California, to Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on March 1, 2001.

The high temperatures encountered by the Space Shuttle were simulated in tunnels at Langley in a 1975 test of thermal insulation materials to be used on the shuttles.

Fire and rescue personnel prepare to evacuate as two "astronauts" prepare to go out in rescue training in Palmdale, California, April 16, 2005.

The Space Shuttle Challenger moves through fog on its crawler tractors on its way to Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center on November 30, 1982.

The Discovery shuttle launches from Cape Canaveral on October 29. On the beach, children watch him.

The Hubble Space Telescope begins its separation from the Discovery shuttle on February 19, 1997

This photo taken from Earth using a solar filter telescope shows NASA's space shuttle Atlantis silhouetted against the Sun Tuesday, May 12, 2009, from Florida

Silhouette of space shuttle Columbia Commander, Kenneth Cockrall, seen from the aircraft's front windows on December 7, 1996

Space Shuttle Discovery lands in the Mojave Desert on September 11, 2009 at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base near Mojave, California.

The Shuttle Endeavor rests on an airplane at the Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, California, shortly before being flown back to Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Shuttle Discovery streaks brightly through the morning darkness as it lifts off from Launch Pad 39A on a 10-day mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope.

At the end of its mission, the space shuttle Discovery was able to document the beginning of the second day of activity at the Rabaul volcano, on the eastern tip of New Britain. On the morning of September 19, 1994, two volcanic cones on opposite sides of a 6-kilometer crater began to erupt into the sea

Space Shuttle Atlantis above Earth, close to docking in orbit with the International Space Station in 2007

After a catastrophic landing failure, debris from the space shuttle Columbia is visible in the sky on the morning of February 1, 2003. The orbiter and all seven crew members were killed.

The wreckage of Columbia is laid out on a grid to help determine the cause of the disaster. March 13, 2003

The Space Shuttle Discovery is slowly getting ready due to lightning in the area of ​​Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on August 4, 2009.

astronaut Robert L. Curbeam Jr. (left) and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Christer Fuglesang, as STS-116 mission specialists, participate in the first of three planned spacewalks for the construction of the International Space Station on December 12, 2006 . With New Zealand in the background.

Xenon lights help land Space Shuttle Endeavor. NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Shuttle Endeavor docking, with a night view of Earth and a starry sky in the background, photographed by the expedition on the International Space Station on May 28, 2011


At Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the STS-133 crew takes a break from a simulated launch countdown on the 195-foot level of Launch Pad 39A

A condensation wave, backlit by the sun, occurred during the launch of Atlantis on STS-106, September 8, 2001.

The International Space Station and the docked shuttle Endeavor, flying at an altitude of about 220 kilometers. This is May 23, 2011