A space shuttle is a space transportation system used by NASA to carry astronauts and cargos from earth to space. NASA has operated space shuttle from 1981 to 2011 as part of the space shuttle program. From 1981 to 2011 total of five complete space shuttle vehicles were built and used for a total of 135 missions. They were launched from Kennedy Space Center situated in Florida.
How Much Does The Space Shuttle Weigh?
Total fully loaded space shuttle weight was around 4.4 million pounds or 2 million kg or over 2000 tons. Which included the total weight of the orbital, 2 rocket boosters, external tank, and fuel.
2 Solid rocket boosters capacity was 1 million pounds of fuel each. The orbitals weigh around 200000 pounds which is almost the weight of a blue whale.
How Many Space Shuttles Were Made?
NASA has built only six massive space shuttle which include Atlantis, Challenger, Columbia, Discovery, Endeavour and Enterprise. But only five have used to fly in space. The first space shuttle Enterprise has never been launched and used for atmospheric flight tests.
Between 1981 to 2011 NASA has conducted 135 missions. Among them 135 were successful and 2 were failed. And those many successful missions have resulted in many benefits for the earth. Their failed mission was in 1986 and 2003 respectively by Challenger and Columbia.
How Much Does An Empty Space Shuttle Weigh?
An empty space shuttle weighs around 165000 pounds. Its empty external tank weighs 78000 pounds and two solid rocket boosters weigh 185000 pounds on empty.
How Much Did The Space Shuttle Challenger Weigh?
Space shuttle Challenger was weigh around 80600 kg or 177700 pounds on Dry mass.
How Much Fuel Does Space Shuttle Use?
During the liftoff, two solid rocket boosters can consume 11000 pounds of fuel per second. That is two million times the rate a family car burned fuel.
How Much Fuel Does A Space Shuttle Use To Get To The Moon?
It actually varies depending on missions. But on average a space shuttle uses around 4,578,000 pounds or 2,076,545 kg of fuel.
How Much Horsepower Does The Space Shuttle Have?
On average three space shuttle main engines generate about 37 million horsepower. The fuel pump alone can deliver 71000 horsepower and the oxygen pump delivers 23000 horsepower.
How Fast Does A Space Shuttle Take Off?
The space shuttle needs to accelerate from zero to 8000 meters per second or 18000 miles per hour to reach the minimum altitude needed to orbit the earth. Total time takes eight and a half minutes.
How Much Does The Space Shuttle Cost?
Space Shuttle Endeavour costs approximately $1.7 billion. Space Shuttle Challenger cost $3.2 billion, Space shuttle Atlantis cost $10.6 billion.
Fun Facts:
>>Space shuttle was the first ever built reusable spacecraft.
>>In 2011 NASA has retired the space shuttle on 21 July which landed at the Kennedy Space Station Center.
>>Space shuttles usually take of rocket speed and when they land like a plane on the runway.
>> Space shuttle was made of three parts which include an orbiter, external tank, boosters.
>> As they have retired you can see some of them in museums across the USA.
