On 8 July 2011 the NASA space shuttle Atlantis took its last
flight. This was the end of the NASA space shuttle program after
135 flights into space! Space shuttles have been around for 20
years and have done lots of important work:
- taking astronauts to the International Space Station
- fixing the Hubble telescope
- conducting experiments in space
- launching probes to explore the Solar System
What does a space shuttle look like?
Space shuttles have three main parts.
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Orbiter - the bit that looks like a huge plane!
This is the part that goes into orbit around the Earth. The orbiter
is where the crew members live.
Fuel tank - a large, orange tank holding lots
of fuel to launch the orbiter into space.
Rocket boosters - two long, thin rocket
boosters on either side of the fuel tank which help launch the
space shuttle.
Space shuttle launching, showing orbiter, fuel tank and
rocket boosters (c) NASA
What's next for space travel?
NASA is developing Orion, a new type of
spacecraft. It will be cheaper and safer than the space
shuttle.
Have a look at NASA's website for
more information about the space shuttle.
What do you know about space shuttles? Try our quiz and find
out!
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