The Space Shuttle Program and its technology

Abstract

Review of the considerations leading to the development of the Space Shuttle system, followed by a description of the system and an analysis of the current program development status. The Space Shuttle system arose out of a need for a reusable vehicle that could routinely carry large payloads (up to 65,000 lb) into earth orbit and return on a cost-effective basis. The system, as currently baselined, consists of a manned reusable Orbiter vehicle and the booster hardware for ground launching. The proposed Orbiter will be 123 feet long, double delta-winged, and roughly the size of a DC-9. The Orbiter will normally carry a crew of four who will work without space suits in a shirtsleeve environment. The Orbiter will be boosted into space through the simultaneous operation of two solid propellant booster rockets and the Orbiter's three high-pressure liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen main engines. The Orbiter will have reusable external insulation, since each vehicle will have a design life of ten years.