All articles tagged with #space shuttle
A single-season 1990s syndicated drama called The Cape offered a realistic portrayal of NASA space shuttle astronauts, starring Adam Baldwin and Corbin Bernsen. The show filmed on location at Kennedy Space Center and consulted former astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Bruce Melnick to ensure procedural accuracy, distinguishing it from alternate-history sci-fi like For All Mankind.
Fifty years after the public unveiling of the first Space Shuttle, Enterprise, on September 17, 1976, the cultural and scientific ties between NASA and Star Trek remain a focal point of historical reflection. The orbiter, originally slated to be named Constitution, was renamed following a massive fan campaign that convinced President Gerald Ford to adopt the fictional starship's name. While the shuttle never flew in space, its atmospheric test flights validated the shuttle program, leading to decades of operations that included the construction of the International Space Station and the deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope. Recent commemorations, including a panel at the Intrepid Museum, highlight how the Enterprise's legacy continues to influence modern human spaceflight initiatives like Artemis and commercial spaceflight.
Space shuttle Endeavour, weighing about 170,000 pounds, crawled 12 miles through Los Angeles on a specialized Over Land Transporter, taking 68 hours and never exceeding about 2 mph, with frequent pauses to trim trees, reroute utilities, and navigate tight clearances as planners aimed to place the orbiter at the California Science Center without damage.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.