#Shuttle Program

[lonestarflight]

Early Program Development

"As part of the Space Task Group's recommendations for more commonality and integration in America's space program, Marshall Space Flight Center engineers proposed an orbiting propellant storage facility to augment Space Shuttle missions. In this artist's concept from 1969 an early version of the Space Shuttle is shown refueling at the facility."

Date: 1969

NASA ID: MSFC-9902021, MSFC 69-PD 4035

[captainfreelance1]

I made this in honor of American Astronaut and Physicist Doctor Sally Ride, who became the first American Woman in Space on June 18, 1983.

This drawing was a blast for me to make of such a remarkable woman, I hope y'all find it's subject as interesting as I do.

[theofficialastronomy101]

Some more crystal clear moon photos! 2500 Megapixel

[chernobog13]

A cutaway diagram of the space shuttle.

[spacefrontier]

Space Shuttle Enterprise separates from the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft during its first free-flight of the Approach and Landing Tests. August 12, 1977.

Approach and Landing Test 12 was the first free flight of the Enterprise, crewed by Commander Fred Haise and Pilot C. Gordon Fullerton. The flight lasted just over 5 minutes, with the Shuttle landing at the Rogers Dry Lake just outside of Edwards Air Force Base and NASA's Ames-Dryden Flight Research Center (now named the Armstrong Flight Research Center).

Another view of Enterprise as it separates from the SCA.

Out of sixteen tests during the ALT program, the final five were free-flights. Three of these free-flights included the tailcone, with the last two removing the tailcone and including mock ups of the RS-25 Space Shuttle Main Engine.

Fred Haise and C. Gordan Fullerton pose in front of the prototype Space Shuttle Enterprise outside of Rockwell International's Orbiter Assembly Facility in Palmdale, California. September 1976.

NASA 1, 2, 3, 4

[gemini-enthusiast]

Pilot Dick Truly reviews teletype printout, STS-2

[russian-aesthetic]

[redlettermediathings]

[nocternalrandomness]

STS-132 - Atlantis - EOM: 26 May 2010 - KSC

[power-chords]

The naming of the space shuttle Enterprise involves one of the funniest presidential orders of all time.

Enterprise, the first space shuttle orbiter, was originally to be named Constitution, in honor of the Constitution of the United States. However, "Star Trek" fans started a write-in campaign urging the White House to instead select the name of the starship that James T. Kirk captained in the original TV series. Although President Gerald Ford did not mention the campaign, he directed NASA officials to change the name, saying he was "partial to the name" Enterprise.

In recognition of their namesake, "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry and most of the principal cast of the original series were on hand when the shuttle Enterprise was rolled out of Rockwell's Air Force Plant 42, Site 1, Palmdale, Calif., assembly facility on Sept. 17, 1976.

Enterprise was built for NASA to perform test flights in the atmosphere; lacking engines or a functional heat shield, it was not capable of actual spaceflight. NASA planned to eventually outfit Enterprise for spaceflight and to make it the second space shuttle to fly, after Columbia, but final design plans for the fuselage and wings of the orbiters changed during the construction of Columbia, and refitting Enterprise in accordance with the new plans would have required significant effort: Entire sections would have to be dismantled and shipped across the country to subcontractors. Instead it was deemed less expensive to build the space shuttle Challenger from existing materials.

And she now resides in New York City at the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum :)

[fuckablerobotbracket]

[lonestarflight]

Rockwell International art of the Space Shuttle Columbia.

source

[histonics]

[theofficialastronomy101]

Technology has came a long way huh?

🛑More photos will be added to this post

[chernobog13]

The space shuttle Discovery.

[spacefrontier]

Space Shuttle Discovery launches off the pad during STS-85. August 7, 1997.

The prime payload of STS-85 was the Cyrogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere Shuttle Pallet Satellite 2 (CRISTA-SPAS-2), which had flown previously on STS-66 in 1994. CRISTA-SPAS-2 was deployed from Discovery's payload bay and measured trace gasses and the dynamics of Earth's middle atmosphere with its three telescopes and four spectrometers. The satellite was recovered by Discovery following a 9 day free-flight.

CHRISTA-SPAS-2 during its 9th and final day of free-flight, prior to capture by Discovery's Remote Manipulator Arm.

Additional payloads included the Manipulator Flight Demonstration sponsored by NASDA, the Japanese Space Agency (later known as JAXA). The demonstration tested a newly designed robotic arm that would later be installed on the Japanese Kibo module of the International Space Station.

The sun sets on day 8 of STS-85.

STS-85 crew on orbit. Top row, from left: Payload Specialist Bjarni Tryggvason (CSA), Mission Specialist Stephen Robinson, Mission Commander Curtis Brown. Bottom row, from left: Mission Specialist Robert Curbeam, Jr., Payload Commander N. Jan Davis, Pilot Kent Rominger.

Landing was originally schedule for August 18, but ground fog at the Kennedy Space Center pushed the landing date to August 19.

Discovery returns to Earth, successfully completing the 12-day STS-85 mission.

NASA 1, 2, 3, 4, 5