Space shuttle orbiter

Discovery approaches ISS at STS-121

The orbiter is the part of the space shuttle system that orbits Earth and returns to land on a runway. The vehicle has the appearance of an airplane and can carry a crew of up to ten members (although the usual is seven). The orbiter measures 37.2 m in length, 24 m in maximum width between wings, and weighs 75 tons empty. Most of its midsection is a cargo compartment that typically consists of satellites, supplies for the International Space Station, and US Department of Defense mission-classified material.

It has three engines that take their fuel from the external tank. These engines provide about 20% of the thrust that the system needs to ascend and go into orbit (the rest of the thrust is provided by the two rockets that are launched together with the vehicle and the fuel tank) and is covered by a protection system. thermal (TPS)

List of orbiters

• Enterprise: It was the first orbiter that was built, but it was never enabled to achieve orbit. It was designed and built as a test model and fulfilled several flight missions and planned launched from a conventional plane.
• Columbia: First orbiter enabled to go to space. First flight on 12 April 1981. He also transported the first Space Laboratory (Spacelab) in November 1983. It was disintegrated on 1 February 2003 during its return to Earth due to a failure in the thermal protection system.
• Challenger: Second Orbiter. He made his first flight in 1983. It was destroyed 73 seconds after rising on its tenth mission due to a failure of the sealing ring of the right auxiliary thruster that caused the explosion of the fuel tank and the destruction of the system on 28 January 1986.
• Discovery: Third Orbiter. He made his first flight on 30 August 1984.
• Atlantis: Orbiter Room. He made his first flight in 1985.
• Endeavour: The most recent of the orbiters, built to replace the Challenger. He made his first flight in 1992.