What is a shuttle? History of creation and photo

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

What is a shuttle? This is an aircraft design of American manufacturers. The word "shuttle" itself means "shuttle". Such a ship is designed to be launched repeatedly, and it was originally assumed that the shuttles would fly back and forth between the Earth and its orbit, delivering cargo.

The article will be devoted to shuttles - spacecraft, as well as all other shuttles that exist today.

History of Creation

Before answering the question of what a shuttle is, let's look at the history of its creation. It begins in the late 1960s in the United States, when the question of designing a reusable space mechanism was raised. This was due to economic benefits. Intensive operation of space shuttles was supposed to lower the high cost of space.

The concept provided for the formation of an orbital point on the Moon, as well as an expedition to Mars. The missions in Earth orbit were to be carried out by reusable craft dubbed the Space Shuttle.

In 1972, documents were signed that determined the shape of the future shuttle.

The design program has been prepared by North American Rockwell on behalf of NASA since 1971. During the development of the program,technological ideas of the Apollo system. Five shuttles were designed, two of which did not survive the crashes. The flights were carried out from 1981 to 2011.

According to NASA's plans, 24 launches were to be carried out annually, and each board was to perform up to 100 flights. But in the course of work, only 135 launches were performed. The shuttle Discovery scored the largest number of flights.

System design

Let's consider what a shuttle is from the point of view of its device. It is launched by a pair of rocket boosters and three engines powered by a massive external tank.

Tacking in orbit is carried out using the engines of a special system designed to carry out orbital maneuvers. This system includes the following steps:

• Two rocket boosters, working two minutes from the moment they are turned on. They give direction to the ship, then detach from it and fly into the ocean using parachutes. After refueling, the boosters start up again.
• Hydrogen and oxygen fuel tank for main engines. The tank is also discarded, but a little later - after 8.5 minutes. Almost all of it undergoes combustion in the atmospheric strata, its fragments fall into the ocean space.
• A manned vessel that enters orbit and provides accommodation for the crew and assists in scientific research. Having completed the program, the orbiter flies to the Earth and lands like a glider on the site allocated forlanding.

Superficially, the shuttle looks like an airplane, but, in fact, it is a heavy glider. The shuttle has no fuel reserves for engines. The engines are running as long as the shuttle is connected to the fuel tank. While in space, as well as during landing, the ship uses not very powerful small engines. It was planned to equip the shuttle with jet engines, but the idea was abandoned due to the high cost.

The lifting force of the ship is low, landing is due to kinetic energy. The ship goes from orbit to the spaceport. That is, he has only one chance to land. Unfortunately, there is no opportunity to turn around and make a second circle. For this reason, NASA has built several reserve landing sites for aircraft.

Principles of operation of accelerators

The side boosters are large and super powerful solid propellant devices that produce thrust to lift the shuttle from the launch area and fly to an altitude of 46 km. Accelerator dimensions:

• 45, 5m long;
• 3, 7m diameter;
• 580 thousand kg - weight.

It is not possible to stop the boosters after launch, so they are turned on after the other three engines start properly. 75 seconds after launch, the boosters separate from the system, fly by inertia, reach maximum altitude, then parachute into the ocean at a distance of about 226 km from launch. In this case, the landing speed is 23 m/s. The technical service specialists assemble the accelerators and send them to the manufacturing plant, where they arerecovered for reuse. The repair and reconstruction of shuttles is also explained by economic considerations, because it is much more expensive to create a new ship.

Performed functions

According to the requirement of the military, the aircraft was supposed to deliver cargoes up to 30 tons, deliver cargoes up to 14.5 tons to Earth. To do this, the cargo compartment had to be 18 meters long and 4.5 meters in diameter.

The space program did not aim to "bomb" actions. Neither NASA, nor the Pentagon, nor the US Congress confirm such information. For bombing purposes, the Dyna-Soar project was developed. However, over time, as part of the project, they were engaged in intelligence activities. Gradually, Dyna-Soar became a research project, and in 1963 it was completely canceled. Many of the results of Dyna-Soar have been transferred to the shuttle project.

Shuttles delivered cargo to an altitude of 200-500 km, they carried out many scientific developments, serviced spacecraft at orbital points, and were engaged in assembly and restoration work. The shuttles operated flights to repair telescopic equipment.

In the 90s, shuttles participated in the Mir-Shuttle program, jointly conducted by Russia and the United States. Nine dockings with Mir station completed.

The design of the shuttles has been constantly improved. Over the entire period of use of the ships, thousands of devices have been developed.

The shuttles helped in the implementation of the project to form the ISS (International Space Station). Many modules were delivered to the ISS using shuttles. Some of these modules are not equipped with engines, so they are not able to autonomously move and maneuver. To deliver them to the station, you need a cargo ship or shuttle. The role of shuttles in this direction cannot be overestimated.

Some interesting data

The average time a spacecraft stays in space is two weeks. The shortest flight was made by shuttle Columbia, it lasted a little more than two days. The longest voyage of the Columbia was 17 days.

The crew consists of two to eight astronauts, along with the pilot and commander. The shuttle orbits ranged from 185,643 km.

The Space Shuttle program was terminated in 2011. It existed for 30 years. For the entire time of its implementation, 135 flights were made. The shuttles traveled 872 million km and lifted cargo with a total mass of 1.6 thousand tons. The orbit was visited by 355 astronauts. The cost of one flight was approximately $450 million. The total cost of the entire program was $160 billion.

The last launch was the launch of Atlantis. In it, the crew was reduced to four people.

As a result of the project, all shuttles were canceled and sent to the museum storage.

Disasters

Space shuttles have suffered only two disasters in their history.

In 1986, the Challenger exploded 73 seconds after launch. The reason was an accident in a solid fuel booster. The entire crew - seven people - was killed. The wreckage of the shuttle burned up in the atmosphere. After the crash, the program was suspended for32 months.

In 2003, the Columbia shuttle burned down. The reason was the destruction of the heat-shielding shell of the ship. The entire crew was killed - seven people.

Reaction of the Soviet Union

The Soviet leadership closely followed the process of implementing the program for the creation and implementation of American space shuttles. This project was perceived as a threat from the United States. Suggestions have been made that:

• shuttles can be used as platforms for nuclear weapons;
• American shuttles can steal satellites of the Soviet Union from earth orbit.

As a result, the Soviet government decided to build its own space mechanism, which is not inferior to the American one in terms of parameters.

Besides the Soviet Union, many countries, following the US, began to design their multiple spacecraft. These are Germany, France, Japan, China.

Soviet development

Following the American ship, the Buran shuttle was created in the Soviet Union. It was intended to carry out military and peaceful tasks.

At first, the ship was conceived as an exact copy of an American invention. But during the development process, some difficulties arose, so the Soviet designers had to look for their own solutions. One of the obstacles was the lack of engines similar to the American ones. More precisely, in the USSR, the engines had completely different technical parameters.

The Buran flight took place in 1988. This happened under the control of the on-board computer. Shuttle landing determined successflight, in which many high-ranking officials did not believe. The fundamental difference between the Buran and the American shuttles was that the Soviet counterpart was able to land on its own. American ships did not have such an opportunity.

Design Features

"Buran" had an impressive size, like his overseas counterparts. Ten people fit in the cockpit.

An important design feature was the heat shield, which weighed over 7 tons.

The spacious cargo bay could hold large cargoes, including space satellites.

The launch of the ship was two-stage. First, four rockets and engines were separated from the ship. Second stage - engines with oxygen and hydrogen.

When creating Buran, one of the main requirements was its reusability. Only the fuel tank was disposable. American boosters had the ability to splash down in the ocean. Soviet boosters landed in the steppes near Baikonur, so their secondary use was not possible.

The second feature of the "Buran" was that the engines were located on the fuel tank and therefore burned in the air. The designers were faced with the task of making the engines reusable, which could reduce the cost of the space exploration program.

If you look at the shuttle (the photo shows it) and its Soviet counterpart, one gets the impression that these ships are identical. But this is only an external similarity with the fundamental internal differences between the two systems.

So, we have considered what a shuttle is. But these daysthis word refers not only to ships for extraterrestrial flights. The idea of the shuttle has been embodied in many inventions of science and technology.

Car-ship

Honda has released a car called the "Shuttle". It was originally produced for the USA and given the name Odyssey. This free car was a success in the New World due to its excellent technical parameters.

"Honda Shuttle" released directly for Europe. At first, this was the name of the Honda Civic station wagon, reminiscent of a microvan. But in 1991, it was removed from a number of manufactured modifications. The name "Shuttle" remained unclaimed. And only in 1994, Japanese machine builders released a new minivan with that name. Why the manufacturers decided to stop at such a model name, one can only guess. Perhaps the idea of a fast space shuttle struck the creators of cars, and they wanted to create a unique fast car.

"Shuttle" is a 5-door station wagon with high traffic. The body has rounded corners, most of the surface is glazed. The salon is characterized by the possibility of transformation. The seats are arranged in three rows, the last one retracts into a niche. The cabin has air conditioning, comfortable seats with plenty of space.

The car is extremely comfortable to drive thanks to the energy-intensive front and rear suspension. The Shuttle successfully copes with the tasks set on the road. However, since 2000, the delivery of this model to Europe was no longer observed, its place was taken by the Honda Stream.

Developing minivans, Honda in 2011 launches the Fit Shuttle line. The line is inspired by the Honda Fit hatchback.

The machine has a 1.5L unit and a 1.3L hybrid. Both front and rear wheel drive vehicles are produced.

"Honda Fit Shuttle" is characterized as an economical, spacious, ergonomic and comfortable car on the road. The car drives perfectly on the streets of megacities. It is suitable for families and business travelers.

"Honda Fit Shuttle" is equipped with the highest safety requirements. It has airbags, ABS, ESP.

Fit Shuttle is still very popular among car owners and has the highest ratings.

Together with children

You can take a flight on a star shuttle with your child by turning on the image and purchasing a Lego toy. The first space-themed set was released by the company back in 1973. It was a building game. Since then, several series of "cosmic" sets have been produced, relating to different price levels.

The popular set ref. 60078 includes:

• service shuttle;
• space satellite;
• figures astronauts;
• stickers;
• assembly information.

The packaging depicts a spaceship, astronauts, the planet Earth and its satellite - the Moon. In Lego, the shuttle is the main element of the set. It is made of white parts with dark inserts and bright red stripes. In his cabinplace two figures of astronauts. There are two of them - a man and a woman. In the ship they sit next to each other. To get into the cab, you need to remove its upper part.

The Lego Shuttle set has become a coveted dream come true for everyone who dreams about space wars. Its main component is not a fictional ship, but quite realistic. The space shuttle collects positive reviews about itself, it strongly resembles authentic American ships that plied the expanses of space. Together with this unique set, you can plunge into the world of space travel and flights for a couple with a child. Moreover, you can play not only with boys, but also with girls, because the set includes a female figure of an astronaut for a reason.

Stolen ship

The Lego company also created the Tydirium shuttle, which reminds us of numerous Star Wars episodes. In total, the company has produced six such ships since 2001. They all differ in size.

The Imperial shuttle has been stolen by the Rebels and is now to be retrieved. Exciting adventures along with the heroes of star travel await little players.

Set includes minifigures: Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Rebels – 2 pcs. The shuttle itself is made in white with gray accents. Two figures fit in the cockpit, it opens through the upper part of the nose. Behind the cab there is a compartment for cargo. Manufacturers say the shuttle assembly process can take anywhere from 2 to 6 hours. With the help of minifigures, it becomes possible to play out many exciting scenes.

Space games for PC

Bethesda, inspired by the idea of space exploration, has released a game Prey for consoles and computers with an interesting plot. It is based on a non-existent reality in which American President John F. Kennedy remained alive after the assassination attempt and began to intensively develop space exploration projects.

Aliens from outer space are attacking planet Earth. They are called typhons. The US and the USSR are joining forces in the fight against enemy forces. But the USSR is undergoing disintegration, and only the USA will have to eliminate the Typhons. Scientists can control the aliens' brains and gain their abilities.

One of the missions of the game is to get on the shuttle. For many, this is a real problem.

Experienced players conquered the shuttle in Prey and give advice to beginners. In order to get on the ship, you need to go down to one of the lower rooms and find the key card there. The key helps open the door and find the elevator. You need to go up the elevator, find the terminal there, which will be activated, after which a bridge appears. Using the bridge and get on the shuttle.

Bus Options

These days, shuttles are not only spaceships in reality and in games, but also bus transport. As a rule, these are fast buses that deliver passengers from the airport to the hotel, to the metro station or vice versa. It can also be a corporate vehicle that transports passengers to places of various events. Shuttles are scheduled in advance. As a rule, they run quiteoften, which is extremely convenient.

So, we have analyzed the ambiguous word "shuttle", examined all the areas in which it is used, and also provided fascinating stories related to space shuttles.