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How did the space shuttle help us?
During its history, the space shuttle flew many different types of missions. It launched satellites and served as an orbiting science laboratory. Its crews repaired and improved other spacecraft, such as the Hubble Space Telescope. The shuttle also flew missions for the military.
Was the space shuttle bad?
Criticism of the Space Shuttle program stemmed from claims that NASA’s Shuttle program failed to achieve its promised cost and utility goals, as well as design, cost, management, and safety issues. Fundamentally, it failed in the goal of reducing the cost of space access.
How does space exploration affect our lives?
Overcoming the challenges of working in space has led to many technological and scientific advances that have provided benefits to society on Earth in areas including health and medicine, transportation, public safety, consumer goods, energy and environment, information technology, and industrial productivity.
What are the consequences of space exploration?
Space exploration has already generated new insight into osteoporosis, muscle atrophy, and motor coordination disorders. Space research has produced a long list of utilities including bone fixation devices and wheelchairs.
Why are the boosters on the Space Shuttle so important?
McDonald says that because of the improvements, shuttle astronauts felt that the boosters were the safest piece of equipment on the shuttle. That was a rewarding result for McDonald, of course, but also emotionally therapeutic in light of the Challenger accident.
Is the Space Shuttle a partially reusable spacecraft?
Partially reusable launch system and spacecraft. The Space Shuttle was a partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system that was operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program.
When did NASA start working on the Space Shuttle?
In 1968, NASA officially began work on what was then known as the Integrated Launch and Re-entry Vehicle (ILRV). At the same time, NASA held a separate Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) competition.
What did NASA use to protect the Space Shuttle?
NASA experienced significant delays in the development of the Space Shuttle’s thermal protection system. Previous NASA spacecraft had used ablative heat shields, but those could not be reused. NASA chose to use ceramic tiles for thermal protection, as the shuttle could then be constructed of lightweight aluminum,…