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JumpStart - Space Science
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The United States developed the Space Shuttle system to improve its access to space. Since the first flight in April 1981, the Shuttle has carried more than 1.5 million pounds of cargo and over 600 major payloads into orbit. The Shuttle is the first and only reusable space vehicle, and is the world's most reliable and versatile launch system. The Shuttle can be configured to carry many different types of equipment, spacecraft and scientific experiments. In addition to transporting people, materials, equipment and spacecraft to orbit, the Shuttle allows astronauts to service and repair satellites and observatories in space, as was demonstrated with the successful repair of the Hubble Space Telescope in December 1993.
Shuttle Accomplishments • 92 missions successfully accomplished • 802 days of flight time accumulated by the fleet • 551 total crew members flown: – 475 male (215 different individuals) – 76 female (32 different individuals) • 13.3 years of total person time in space onboard Space Shuttle • A total of 10,427 tons of orbiter/cargo have been launched into space, including 1,531 tons of payload and payload integration hardware and 472 tons of payload deployed and left in orbit: – 20 tons were deployed to the Mir space station – 26 tons were retrieved from Mir – 34.6 tons rendezvoused with and retrieved from orbit – 13 tons deployed to International Space Station • 60 payloads • 31 payloads retrieved:– 21 deployed and retrieved on same flight – 10 retrieved for repair or refurbishing Payloads carried on the Space Shuttle serve diverse missions, including: • Astronomy • Microgravity Science • Astrophysics • Planetary Science • Atmospheric Science • Communications • Geophysics • Solar Physics • Life Science • National Security • Materials Science Shuttle Facts • The Space Shuttle has three major components: The Orbiter, which carries the crew, typically seven people, and the payload in its 60-foot-long cargo bay. The 154-foot tall external fuel tank, which stores nearly one-half million gallons of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants. Twin 150-foot-tall solid rocket boosters, which are strapped to the external tank. The boosters generate over 6 million pounds of thrust at liftoff and are jettisoned 2 minutes into the flight. They are recovered and reused. • The main engines produce nearly 1 million pounds of thrust and operate about 8 1/2 minutes from liftoff until the Shuttle achieves orbit. The external tank is jettisoned and burns up in the Earth's atmosphere. • There are four Space Shuttles: Columbia, Discovery, Atlantis,and Endeavour. Recent and Future Activities with Mir • The primary objective of the Shuttle is to support NASA launch requirements safely and successfully. Because of its unique and well-established capabilities, the Shuttle remains a key element of America's space program. Shuttle flights will operate well into the 21st century at a rate of seven to eight missions a year. • The Space ShuttleColumbia will be commanded by NASA's first female Commander, Eileen Collins. Its main payload is the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility, named the Chandra X-ray Observatory in honor of the late Indian-American Nobel Laureate Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. Chandra is designed to observe x-rays from high-energy regions of the universe, such as hot gas in the remnants of exploded stars. When Chandra is launched, it will begin an exploration of the hot turbulent regions in space with images 25 times sharper than previous x-ray pictures. Chandra's improved sensitivity will make possible more detailed studies of black holes, supernovas, and dark matter and increase our understanding of the origin, evolution, and destiny of the universe. Budget The Shuttle program is funded under the Human Space Flight portion of NASA's budget. For fiscal year 1999, Shuttle operations and safety and performance upgrades are funded at $3,059 million. NASA has significantly improved the efficiency of the Shuttle program, reducing annual operating costs by nearly 31 percent without compromising safety since fiscal year 1992. On October 1, 1996, NASA began a new era in the Space Shuttle program by consolidating most of the ground processing and in-flight operations of the Shuttle under a simplified contract signed with a single company, United Space Alliance (USA). Consolidation of the first phase operational contracts into the Space Flight Operations Contract were completed in fiscal year 1998, and the first production contract will be transferred when the solid rocket booster contract is transitioned this year. The single prime contract is expected to reduce the cost of flying the Space Shuttle, while maintaining safety as the top priority and keeping the current annual flight rate intact. Partnerships Industry—The Shuttle program has flown many payloads in cooperation with other government agencies and private industries. Among the payloads flown on the Shuttle are: • telecommunications satellites • spacecraft that study the Earth and monitor global air pollution • crystal growth facilities, which produce crystals used for designing drugs • cellular and biological research payloads, which have direct application to problems associated with cellular, muscle, and bone deterioration on Earth International—The Shuttle has flown payloads and astronauts from many different countries: • Australia • Italy • Belgium • Mexico • Canada • The Netherlands • Germany • Russia • Japan • Saudi Arabia • France • Switzerland • India • Spain • Indonesia • United Kingdom NASA Data Sheet FS-1999-01-005-HQ Responsible NASA Official: Pat Riep-Dice Revised: February 8, 1999 |
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