The Space Transportation System (STS) is the formal name of NASA’s Space Shuttle, consisting of an aircraft-like orbiter, two boosters and a huge external tank.
The stack, as the composite of orbiter, tank and boosters is called, has a gross liftoff weight of 2000 tonnes. Its height is 56 m and the boosters with the three Space Shuttle Main Engines generate 30.16 MN of thrust.
Shuttle is able to loft about 24 tonnes of cargo to low orbit and transport typically seven astronauts.
OrbiterThe Orbiter is about the size of an Airbus A320 airliner, but sports the double-delta wings of a fighter. It has a crew compartment in the nose section, followed by a large payload bay and finally three main rocket engines in the aft fuselage.
The Orbiter structure is primarily aluminum alloy, with the engine structure primarily titanium alloy. The whole underbelly is covered by ceramic tiles protecting the Orbiter from the extreme heating of reentry. Each orbital vehicle was designed for 100 flights.
Specifications of Endeavour (OV-105)
Length: 37.237 m
Wingspan: 23.79 m
Height: 17.86 m
Empty weight: 78 000 kg
Gross liftoff weight: 110 000 kg
Maximum landing weight: 100 000 kg
Maximum payload: 25 060 kg
Payload to low Earth orbit: 24 310 kg
Payload bay dimensions: 4.6 x 18 m
Operational orbit altitude: 190 to 960 km
Orbital speed: 7743 m/s (27 870 km/h)
Crew: minimum of two, typically seven, maximum 11
The stack, as the composite of orbiter, tank and boosters is called, has a gross liftoff weight of 2000 tonnes. Its height is 56 m and the boosters with the three Space Shuttle Main Engines generate 30.16 MN of thrust.
Shuttle is able to loft about 24 tonnes of cargo to low orbit and transport typically seven astronauts.
OrbiterThe Orbiter is about the size of an Airbus A320 airliner, but sports the double-delta wings of a fighter. It has a crew compartment in the nose section, followed by a large payload bay and finally three main rocket engines in the aft fuselage.
The Orbiter structure is primarily aluminum alloy, with the engine structure primarily titanium alloy. The whole underbelly is covered by ceramic tiles protecting the Orbiter from the extreme heating of reentry. Each orbital vehicle was designed for 100 flights.
Specifications of Endeavour (OV-105)
Length: 37.237 m
Wingspan: 23.79 m
Height: 17.86 m
Empty weight: 78 000 kg
Gross liftoff weight: 110 000 kg
Maximum landing weight: 100 000 kg
Maximum payload: 25 060 kg
Payload to low Earth orbit: 24 310 kg
Payload bay dimensions: 4.6 x 18 m
Operational orbit altitude: 190 to 960 km
Orbital speed: 7743 m/s (27 870 km/h)
Crew: minimum of two, typically seven, maximum 11
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