Tag

Space Shuttle

All articles tagged with #space shuttle

space19 days ago•11 min saved

Columbia's Ground Echo: The Space Shuttle's First Flight Damaged Tiles Before Liftoff

NASA’s 1981 Columbia mission damaged 16 heat-shield tiles and 148 more within seconds of ignition—not from engine failure but from the shockwave reflecting off the launch pad; to prevent recurrence, NASA refined the Sound Suppression Water System, pouring hundreds of thousands of gallons under the pad to absorb acoustic energy, a practice that continues for crewed launches, with two high-stress windows at ignition overpressure and during max Q as the vehicle climbs.

via Space Daily|

#heat-shield-tiles #nasa #overpressure

space-and-spaceflight1 month ago•15 min saved

Endeavour’s 20-Story Return: Launch-Ready Shuttle on Display in LA

California's Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center will display the Space Shuttle Endeavour in a vertical, launch-ready pose—featuring its orbiter, solid boosters, and external tank—as the centerpiece of a new exhibit opening November 13, 2026, commemorating NASA's shuttle era.

via Gizmodo|

#california-science-center #endeavour #space-and-spaceflight

science2 months ago•6 min saved

Endeavour Reimagined: A Full-Stack Shuttle on Display in LA

The California Science Center unveiled a full-stack display of Space Shuttle Endeavour—the last orbiter—mounted in a vertical launch posture as part of a new 200,000-square-foot exhibit opening Nov. 13, 2026, highlighting Endeavour’s upgrades (SSPTS, Advanced Health Management System, GPS) and its missions including ISS construction and Hubble servicing, alongside the long effort to house the shuttle in an earthquake-resistant facility.

via TWZ|

#california-science-center #endeavour #full-stack-display

science2 months ago•4 min saved

Endeavour Stands Tall: LA’s Space Center Unveils Shuttle in Launch Configuration

LA’s California Science Center will unveil Space Shuttle Endeavour in its launch-ready stack at the new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center this November, offering a rare, authentic view of the orbiter attached to real boosters and an external tank; visitors can walk beneath the engines, explore the payload bay, and watch an introductory film, with timed entries planned for large crowds—the center’s 200,000-square-foot expansion doubles exhibit space and marks Endeavour’s continued public display since 2012 after its Go for Stack assembly.

via NBC Los Angeles|

#california-science-center #endeavour #exposition-park

science2 months ago•6 min saved

Endeavour Stands Tall: LA’s Space Center unveils a dramatic vertical display

The California Science Center in Los Angeles will unveil a 184-foot vertical display of the space shuttle Endeavour, mounted with its external tank and boosters, inside the new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center on Nov. 13, 2026. The exhibit, created over four years, offers multi-level viewing, a pre-show, lighting adjustments for the payload bay, and a glass-elevator ascent for dramatic, up-close perspectives of the shuttle.

via collectSPACE.com|

#california-science-center #endeavour #samuel-oschin-air-and-space-center

us-news2 months ago•14 min saved

Investigation underway after aircraft crash near Edwards Air Force Base, California

A crash near Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California’s Mojave Desert prompted a law enforcement response; authorities say the incident is under investigation, with historical context provided by an image of a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft that carried the Space Shuttle Discovery.

via AP News|

#aircraft-crash #aviation #california

technology7 months ago•2 min saved

Shuttle-Era RS-25 Engines Return for Artemis 2 Moon Mission

NASA's Artemis 2 will lift off on the Space Launch System powered by four RS-25 engines: three refurbished from the Space Shuttle program and one making its first flight. Collectively these engines bring a combined 22 previous shuttle missions to the Artemis effort, and, as SLS is fully expendable, the engines will be dropped into the Atlantic about 10 minutes after launch.

via Gizmodo|

#artemis #nasa #rs-25

science10 months ago•5 min saved

NASA's First Woman Commander Breaks Barriers

Eileen Collins made history as NASA's first female space shuttle pilot and commander, overcoming challenges and breaking gender barriers in the aerospace industry, and inspiring future generations of women in science and space exploration.

via BBC|

#eileen-collins #nasa #science

science-and-technology10 months ago•4 min saved

NASA Chooses Boeing 747 for Space Shuttle Transport

NASA chose Boeing 747s as Shuttle Carrier Aircrafts to transport space shuttles, leveraging their low-wing design and capacity to carry and deploy shuttles during the space program, especially for repositioning and testing purposes, playing a crucial role in the shuttle missions' success.

via Jalopnik|

#boeing-747 #nasa #nasa-missions

science-and-technology11 months ago•9 min saved

Space Shuttle Pioneers Women in NASA's Leadership

The article details how NASA's Space Shuttle program helped break gender barriers by including women astronauts like Sally Ride, highlighting the challenges they faced, such as sexist equipment and stereotypes, and celebrating their achievements in space exploration and diversity advancements.

via BBC|

#diversity-in-space #nasa #sally-ride

science1 year ago•2 min saved

Space Shuttle Tires Designed for Single Use

The Space Shuttle's tires, designed by Michelin, were built to withstand extreme conditions and were only used once due to the immense forces during landing, with the main tires being 34-ply rated and filled with nitrogen to handle the harsh environment. Despite its retirement, there have been attempts to reclaim the Shuttle Discovery, which is now owned by the Smithsonian.

via Jalopnik|

#landing-gear #michelin #nasa

technology1 year ago•3 min saved

NASA's Airstream Trailer with One Owner Up for Sale

A rare Airstream trailer that served as NASA's Convoy Command Vehicle for Space Shuttle operations was mistakenly sold at auction and is now listed for $199,000, offering space enthusiasts a unique piece of space history, though its sale and use are regulated by US export laws.

via theregister.com|

#airstream #military-vehicle #nasa

space1 year ago•4 min saved

Congress Approves $10 Billion for NASA in Reconciliation Bill

A bipartisan reconciliation bill approved by Congress allocates nearly $10 billion for NASA's Artemis program, Gateway lunar station, Mars telecommunications, and space station operations, with specific funding for the Space Launch System, Orion spacecraft, and space shuttle relocation, amidst some disagreements over program continuations and budget priorities.

via Spaceflight Now|

#artemis #gateway #mars

science1 year ago•1 min saved

Congress allocates $10 billion to NASA for Artemis and Moon missions

Congress approved a budget reconciliation bill allocating nearly $10 billion to NASA's human spaceflight programs, which may also facilitate the transfer of a space shuttle to Houston, supporting ongoing and future space exploration efforts.

via SpaceNews|

#budget #congress #nasa

science-and-technology1 year ago•3 min saved

Russia's Forgotten Space Shuttle: A Rusting Relic of Cosmic Ambitions

The Buran space plane, the Soviet Union's answer to NASA's Space Shuttle, now sits abandoned and rusting in a hangar in Kazakhstan. Despite its successful unmanned flight in 1988, the Buran program was halted after the fall of the Berlin Wall and officially canceled in 1993. While NASA's shuttles are celebrated in museums, the Buran remains largely forgotten, with only a few remnants and an engineering prototype left to tell the story of this ambitious but ultimately short-lived Soviet space endeavor.

via Jalopnik|

#buran #nasa #science-and-technology