What aircraft is used to transport the Space Shuttles?

Boeing 747 jetliners
NASA flew two modified Boeing 747 jetliners, originally manufactured for commercial use, as Space Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. One is a 747-123 model, while the other was designated a 747-100SR-46 model. The two aircraft were identical in performance as Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA).

When did NASA stop using Space Shuttles?

July 2011
The Space Shuttle program finished with its last mission, STS-135 flown by Atlantis, in July 2011, retiring the final Shuttle in the fleet. The Space Shuttle program formally ended on August 31, 2011.

What was the space shuttle used for?

space transportation system
The space shuttle was NASA’s space transportation system. It carried astronauts and cargo to and from Earth orbit. The first space shuttle flight took place April 12, 1981. The shuttle made its final landing July 21, 2011.

How do space shuttles transport?

To load the shuttle onto the jet, NASA uses a giant gantry-like machine called the Mate-Demate device. This contraption uses two 100-foot steel towers with a massive lift beam in between them to hoist the orbiter off the ground.

Where is the plane that carried the space shuttle?

The 905 carried space shuttles 223 times. Discovery flies into the sunrise above Kennedy Space Center on its final flight. NASA’s only other Shuttle Carrier Aircraft — a 747-100SR-46 called NASA 911 — is on display at the Joe Davies Heritage Airpark in Palmdale, California.

Where do space shuttles fly in the atmosphere?

the thermosphere
Above: The space shuttle orbits in the thermosphere, a tenuous layer of our atmosphere that gets hotter and expands during solar maximum. The puffed-up thermosphere increases drag on Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites.

How does a Space Shuttle get to orbit the Earth?

To reach the minimum altitude required to orbit the Earth, the space shuttle must accelerate from zero to 8,000 meters per second (almost 18,000 miles per hour) in eight and a half minutes. It takes a very unique vehicle to accomplish this. There are three main components of the space shuttle that enable the launch into orbit.

How does the Space Shuttle carry cargo?

The Shuttle will transport cargo into near Earthorbit 100 to 217 nautical miles (115 to 250 statute miles) above the Earth. This cargo — or payload — is carried in a bay 15 feet in diameter and 60 ft long. Major system requirements are that the orbiterand the two solid rocket boostersbe reusable.

Will the shuttles ever fly again?

However, it would still be in no condition to fly. First off, to make the shuttles safe for museum life upon their retirement, a number of parts had to be removed from them, Launius said. “In particular, there are parts of the propulsion system that use gases that are highly toxic, so those had to be removed.

What is the ascent process of the Space Shuttle?

The ascent process begins with the liftoff from the launch pad. Propellant is being burned from the Solid Rocket Boosters, or SRB, and the external tank, or ET, causing the space shuttle to accelerate very quickly.