A space shuttle is a reusable space craft first developed by USA. It can land on the ground just like an airplane. With the help of this, people can go into the space just as they go for sight-seeing. It can be used for scientific and defence purposes as well.
The first space shuttle Columbia was launched by USA on April 12, 1981. After orbiting the earth for 36 times, it came back on April 14, 1981. It was a major development in the history of space flights and proved that space vehicles can be built that will work in the manner of airplanes. Columbia had one orbiter, three main engines, one external tank and two booster rockets. After 122 seconds of its launching, when it attained a height of 46 kms, its booster rockets got separated from the main craft. When it touched a height of 116 kms, its three engines also stopped. It started orbiting the earth in elliptical orbits. After completing its marked journey, Columbia landed on earth just like a plane. It carried four crew members though it had a provision for seven. It was launched on its second flight on November 14, 1981. Thereafter it made two more flights.
After Columbia another space shuttle named ‘Challenger’ began its mission. It also made several successful flights. A third space shuttle named ‘Discovery’ has also made several flights. The next space shuttle was ‘Atlantis’. In March 1989, ‘Atlantis’ launched a spacecraft on a 1300 million km. voyage to Venus. Columbia broke the record for the longest shuttle flight in space on July 6, 1992 surpassing its previous record of 10 days 21 hours and one minute. This time the flight lasted for 13 days.
Satellites have also been launched into the space with the help of these space shuttles. A number of important experiments have been made during these flights of different space shuttles.
The adventurous and successful mission of space shuttle flights got a setback when the 25th US space shuttle and 10th flight of ‘Challenger’ which was launched into space on January 28, 1986 burnt up in a mid air explosion just after 75 seconds of its take off, killing all seven crew members aboard. It is the greatest disaster till date in the history of space flights. On May 14, 1992 a trio of US astronauts from the shuttle “Endeavour” – Richard Heib, Pierre Thuot and Thomas Akers – plucked a 4000 kg. Wayward satellite ‘Intelsat – 6’ from space, equipped it with a rocket and sent it back to the orbit.
The former Soviet Union joined the era of space shuttles on November 15, 1988 when its first reuseable shuttle “Buran” was lunched.
