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What United States space program served our country for 30 years from 1981 2011 )?
The Space Shuttle program was the fourth human spaceflight program carried out by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which accomplished routine transportation for Earth-to-orbit crew and cargo from 1981 to 2011.
Why was the space program stopped in 2011?
While reentering Earth's atmosphere, Columbia broke apart, killing the entire crew. All of these factors — high costs, slow turnaround, few customers, and a vehicle (and agency) that had major safety problems — combined to make the Bush administration realize it was time for the Space Shuttle Program to retire.
When was the Space Shuttle program started?
January 5, 1972Space Shuttle program / Start date
What is America's space program called?
The U.S. Congress passes legislation establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a civilian agency responsible for coordinating America's activities in space, on July 29, 1958.
What replaced the space shuttle program?
Orion is Nasa's new spaceship for humans, designed to visit destinations such as the Moon and Mars. Here's our guide to America's replacement for the space shuttle.
When was the last space mission?
STS-135 (ISS assembly flight ULF7) was the 135th and final mission of the American Space Shuttle program....STS-135.Spacecraft propertiesLaunch date8 July 2011 15:29 UTCLaunch siteKennedy, LC-39AEnd of missionLanding date21 July 2011, 09:57 UTC37 more rows
Which president approved the Space Shuttle program?
Richard NixonRichard Nixon signs a bill authorizing $5.5 million in funding to develop a space shuttle. The space shuttle represented a giant leap forward in the technology of space travel.
What was the name of the space shuttle that exploded in the 1980's?
NASA space shuttle ChallengerThe NASA space shuttle Challenger exploded on January 28, 1986, just 73 seconds after liftoff, bringing a devastating end to the spacecraft's 10th mission.
What does STS stand for NASA?
Space Transportation SystemIt stands for, very simply, Space Transportation System. When they were originally designing the shuttle, that was the official name that everybody gave it. So, when we fly a mission, we are flying Space Transportation System mission 111.
How many space programs are there?
In reality, more than 70 space agencies exist around the world, particularly in countries that are technologically advanced or have high military spending, with more than a dozen additional agencies on the way.
What does NASA stand stand for?
National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA / Full nameA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Q: When was NASA established and why? A: The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 created NASA. Its birth date is October 1, 1958.
What was the goal of the Project Gemini?
Gemini had four main goals: to test an astronaut's ability to fly long-duration missions (up to two weeks in space); to understand how spacecraft could rendezvous and dock in orbit around the Earth and the moon; to perfect re-entry and landing methods; and to further understand the effects of longer space flights on ...
Which president Cancelled the space program?
President Obama"When President Obama recently released his budget for NASA, he proposed a slight increase in total funding...the accompanying decision to cancel the Constellation program, its Ares 1 and Ares V rockets, and the Orion spacecraft, is devastating."
Why did the space shuttle fail?
Criticism of the Space Shuttle program stemmed from claims that NASA's Space 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.
Why did we stop using the Saturn V?
Another reason we're not reusing the Saturn V is the same reason it was cancelled in the first place: cost. The SLS is supposed to be half the cost per launch. Whether that works out remains to be seen. The Saturn V was expensive.
Why did NASA stop searching the ocean?
This is largely because the vast majority of oceans remain unexplored. Thanks to a combination of impossibly deep waters, immense pressure, and a lack of sunlight, over 80 percent of the total oceans on Earth are a total mystery.
What is the British space program?
British space programme – British government effort to develop British space capabilities. Chinese space program – Space program of the People's Republic of China. Soviet space program – Space exploration program conducted by the Soviet Union from the 1950s to 1991. ...
How high can you go in space?
The United States has seen several space programs since the beginnings of spaceflight. The criteria for what constitutes spaceflight vary. In the United States, professional, military, and commercial astronauts who travel above an altitude of 50 miles (80 km) are awarded astronaut wings.
When did the Columbia go into space?
The Enterprise never had a mission into space. The first flight of the Columbia occured from April 12 to April 14, 1981, encompassing two days and six hours. It took off from Cape Canaveral and landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The launch date coincided with the 20th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's first spaceflight for the Soviet Union.
How many missions did the Space Shuttle have?
The program, which began in 1981 and included 135 missions, was completed when the Shuttle Atlantis flew its final mission to the International Space Station. Four decades of amazing achievements in space with the first reusable spacecraft, NASA's Space Shuttle program, shooting into orbit from the launch pad at Cape Canaveral from 1981 to 2011.
How many people were on the Atlantis mission?
Mission 135 was not originally intended to be the last, but was authorized in October 2010, extending the Space Shuttle program for one additional mission from its intended last Mission 134. The Atlantis would have a four man crew; Christoper Ferguson, Commander (Flight 3), Douglas Hurley, Pilot (Flight 2), Sandra Magnus, ...
How much did the Columbia space shuttle cost?
Each shuttle mission cost an average of $775 million and the entire program cost over $110 billion. Shuttle Columbia - Twenty-eight missions. First flight, April 12, 1981.
How many space shuttles were built?
Yes, there had been tragedies. And yes, there had been those grand achievements. Five shuttles capable of spaceflight were built; Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavor.
What was the first shuttle?
The first shuttle, Enterprise, was a test vehicle, taken into the skies by a 747 to test whether it could glide and land in 1977. There were five free flight tests using the Enterprise before the first operational mission of the Columbia was launched in 1981. The Enterprise never had a mission into space.
Where are the shuttles located?
The Shuttle Atlantis is located at the Kennedy Space Center on Cape Canaveral. The Shuttle Discovery at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia.
When did the Space Shuttle enter service?
Space Shuttle Concepts, Photo Courtesy NASA. With great optimism, NASA initially expected that the first Space Shuttle would enter service by 1977.
When did NASA stop the Space Shuttle program?
Late in 1971, there was a chance that the Space Shuttle program would be halted for more than one year. NASA had no guarantee that President Nixon would recommend any expenditures for the Space Shuttle in his fiscal year 1973 budget, which ran from July 1, 1972 to June 30, 1973.
Why did NASA decide to send Skylab back to Earth?
The revelation prompted NASA to determine how, if necessary, Skylab could be guided back to Earth in a manner necessary to avoid damage to populated areas. NASA was also prompted to step up its development of Space Shuttle hardware necessary to save the space station.
How did the SSME work?
The SSME’s were controlled during flight by digital computer systems mounted on each engine. These operated in conjunction with engine sensors, valve actuators and spark igniters to provide a redundant, self-contained system for monitoring engine control, checkout and status. The SSME digital computer systems, called Main Engine Controllers, were mounted on the top of each SSME, on the outside of the combustion chamber. Each SSME had one Main Engine Controller, which consisted of two digital computers and their related electronics. In association with general purpose computers aboard the Orbiter, the SSME Main Engine Controllers were able to provide flight readiness verification, engine start and shutdown sequencing, closed-loop thrust and propellant mixture ratio control and sensor operation.
How long did it take for the SSME to fire?
In an emergency, however, throttle commands could be controlled manually from the flight deck. Firing of the three SSME’s began at Launch Minus 6.6 seconds, at which time general purpose computers aboard the Orbiter commanded a staggered start of each SSME. The first to fire was Main Engine Number Three (right), followed by Main Engine Number Two (left) and Main Engine Number One (center) at intervals of 120 milliseconds. If all three SSME’s did not reach a mandatory thrust of 90% over the course of the next three seconds, a Main Engine Cutoff command was initiated automatically, followed by the cutoff of all three SSME’s and a number of safety functions.
What is a booster in space?
The Booster would, in essence, be a fuel tank with wings. In this two-stage concept, both the Booster and Orbiter would require cockpits, hardware and instrumentation to facilitate landings. Both were designed to carry internal turbo-fan engines which would produce controlled flight during landing operations. Each vehicle would carry its own fuel tanks. As originally described by NASA in 1970, this two-stage Space Shuttle would be able to carry a 25,000-pound payload to a maximum 300-mile circular orbit. As we now know, this early two-stage concept obviously does not resemble the Space Shuttles which were eventually built. This was due to the economic realities facing NASA in the early 1970’s. In a time of general recession, it was clear that NASA could not afford to build a fleet of complicated two-stage Space Shuttles along with a space station at the same time. Utilizing the intent of the day for the Space Shuttle, one without the other made no sense at all.
How much weight can a space shuttle carry?
But the U.S. Air Force specified a total payload capability of 65,000 pounds for Space Shuttles capable of carrying large, sophisticated military satellites into orbit.
What was the first space flight?
Milestones and other notable events in the U.S. history of human space exploration: — May 5, 1961: U.S. launches first American, astronaut Alan Shepard Jr. , into space, on a 15-minute, 22-second suborbital flight. — May 25, 1961: President Kennedy declares the American national space objective to put a man on the moon.
When did Shannon Lucid visit the Mir?
— June 29, 1995: Atlantis docks with Mir in first shuttle-station hookup. — Sept. 26, 1996: Shannon Lucid returns to Earth after 188-day Mir mission, a U.S. space endurance record and a world record for women.
What was the first space race?
The Cold War between the United States and former Soviet Union gave birth to the space race and an unprecedented program of scientific exploration. The Soviets sent the first person into space on April 12, 1961. In response, President John F. Kennedy challenged our nation “to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to earth.” It took eight years and three NASA programs -- Mercury, Gemini and Apollo – but the United States got to the moon.
How many people did the Space Shuttle carry?
Over 30 years, NASA's space shuttle fleet—Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour—flew 135 missions and carried 355 different people to space. Humanity's first reusable spacecraft, the space shuttle carried people into orbit repeatedly; launched, recovered and repaired satellites; conducted cutting-edge research; and built the largest structure in space, the International Space Station. The space shuttle pushed the bounds of discovery ever farther, requiring not only advanced technologies but also the tremendous efforts of thousands of civil servants and contractors throughout NASA's field centers and across the nation. Tragically, NASA lost two crews of seven in the 1986 Challenger accident and the 2003 Columbia accident.
Why was the Gemini program chosen?
The program’s main goals were: to test an astronaut’s ability to fly long duration flights (14 days); to understand how a spacecraft could rendezvous and dock with another vehicle in Earth orbit; to perfect re-entry landing methods; and to further understand the effects of longer spaceflights on astronauts. NASA selected “Gemini” because the word is Latin for “twins,” and the Gemini was a capsule built for two.
How does the International Space Station work?
The International Space Station is a model for global cooperation and scientific advancements that is enabling growth of private industry in low-Earth orbit and development of new technologies to advance human space exploration. Built between 1998 and 2011, the space station has housed humans continuously since Nov. 2, 2000. Because molecules and cells behave differently in space, research in microgravity helps advance scientific knowledge. The space station is a U.S. National Laboratory, which the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) manages for research investigations that improve life on Earth. NASA has contracted with commercial companies SpaceX, Orbital ATK, and Sierra Nevada Corporation to deliver science investigations, cargo, and supplies to the crews living in space, and soon Boeing and SpaceX will transport astronauts to and from the station.
What happened to the Apollo program?
Image Credit: NASA. The Apollo program was hit by tragedy as the first crew prepared to fly. On Jan. 27, 1967, fire swept through the Apollo 1 command module during a preflight test on the Cape Kennedy launch pad. Astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee lost their lives.
What was the Apollo 13 lifeboat?
A makeshift arrangement of equipment, parts and duct tape on the Apollo 13 Lunar Module (LM) saved the crew’s lives after an oxygen tank explosion in the Service Module left them with the LM to use as a “lifeboat.” Using materials only found on the spacecraft, NASA engineers on the ground designed and tested a system that removed carbon dioxide from the LM; the Apollo 13 crew then made the system onboard, April 17, 1970, and returned safely to Earth.
How many countries are on the International Space Station?
The station is a partnership of 15 nations through NASA, ESA (the European Space Agency), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and Roscosmos, the Russian Federal Space Agency. “Kibo” means “hope” in Japanese. All crew members speak English and Russian.
When did the NASA space shuttle end?
NASA's Space Shuttle Program Officially Ends After Final Celebration. HOUSTON — NASA's space shuttle program came to its official end Wednesday (Aug. 31), just over a month after the final shuttle mission landed on Earth. Beginning today, all on-going shuttle related work — which is mostly focused on preparing the three orbiters for their display ...
Why did NASA retire the Space Shuttle?
NASA retired the space shuttle to devote its resources to sending astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit, to an asteroid, back to the moon and eventually Mars.
How many times did the Atlantis space shuttle orbit the Earth?
Atlantis: "By the time it landed on July 21st to complete the space shuttle program's storied 30 year history, Atlantis orbited the Earth 200 times on its 33 missions and entered the record books as the first shuttle to dock with the Russian space station Mir and the last shuttle to undock from the International Space Station."
What did NASA do to celebrate the end of the shuttle program?
To mark the end of the program and to say thank you to its thousands of workers, many of whom are losing their jobs with the shuttle's retirement, NASA hosted employee gatherings at the centers that supported and oversaw the flyout of the shuttle. After similar celebrations at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and Marshall Space Flight Center in ...
What were the first two orbiters to fly?
NASA's first two orbiters to fly, Columbia and Challenger , were lost with their crews to in-flight accidents in February 2003 and January 1986 respectively. "We have to remember two groups of people who are very special to all of us: the STS-51L crew and STS-107 crew.
What did the mission Endeavour do?
Endeavour: "Endeavour ended its career in the pre-dawn hours on June 1st, lifting the spirits of the nation and the world through its heroics and its contributions to furthering human exploration. During its time in orbit, Endeavour saved the Hubble Space Telescope on the first mission to service the iconic observatory and it also delivered the first U.S. element of the International Space Station to orbit to begin assembly of the complex that is now our national laboratory in space."
Where is the space shuttle Discovery?
Shuttle Discovery, bound next year for the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in northern Virginia, was retired first in March. Endeavour landed June 1 and is now being prepared for display at the California Science Center in Los ...
What was the first space launch?
The 1957 launch of Sputnik and subsequent Russian firsts in space convinced many U.S. policymakers that the country had fallen dangerously behind its Cold War rival. Consecutive U.S. administrations invested in education and scientific research to meet the Soviet challenge. These investments propelled the United States to victory in the so-called space race and planted the seeds for future innovation and economic competitiveness, experts say. Yet, since the 1990s, NASA’s share of federal spending has waned. The U.S. private sector has ramped up investment in space, and in May 2020, astronauts launched from U.S. soil for the first time in nearly a decade on a rocket built by the company SpaceX.
Which presidents have set different space goals?
administrations have set different space goals. The George W. Bush administration pushed for a return to the moon and a trip to Mars, but President Barack Obama favored an asteroid mission. The Obama administration also set a goal of a manned mission to orbit Mars by the mid-2030s, which would require the commitment of subsequent presidents.
What company is the first to fly to the ISS?
In May 2020, SpaceX became the first private company to successfully ferry two NASA astronauts to the ISS, using its Falcon 9 rocket and attached Crew Dragon capsule. President Trump said the launch “makes clear the commercial space industry is the future.”.
How much money will NASA spend in 2021?
Congress appropriated about $23 billion for NASA in 2021, an increase of roughly 3 percent from the previous year. More on: United States. Space. Technology and Innovation. Due to the Space Shuttle’s retirement in 2011, NASA did not have the means to send astronauts into space by itself for nearly a decade.
How many missions did NASA do?
After six successful lunar missions, NASA’s manned program pulled back to Earth, while robotic programs such as Voyager and Viking continued to explore the solar system. NASA focused on sending astronauts into low Earth orbit (LEO) with the 1973 launch of Skylab, the first U.S. space station, and the Space Shuttle. The Space Shuttle served NASA for thirty years (1981–2011) and helped build the International Space Station (ISS), an orbiting laboratory that has been continuously occupied by humans since 2000. The agency has also completed a series of unmanned missions to Mars, most recently in February 2021, when it landed the Perseverance rover to search for signs that life previously existed on the planet.
Which country has sent people to Mars?
Only the United States has sent people beyond low Earth orbit, but experts say U.S. preeminence in space could be challenged. China became the third nation to independently launch a human into orbit in 2003 and its capabilities have since grown. The People’s Liberation Army is seen as a driver of the Chinese space program, the ambitions of which include sending people to the moon and building a space station. Meanwhile, India launched its first unmanned mission to Mars in late 2013, and its probe entered Mars’s orbit in September 2014. The Indian Space Research Organisation has since reached an agreement with NASA on subsequent explorations of Mars. China and the United Arab Emirates successfully sent spacecraft to orbit Mars in February 2021, the same month that NASA landed its rover there; the Chinese mission includes its own robotic explorer.
What was the significance of the launch of Sputnik in 1957?
The 1957 launch of Sputnik and subsequent Russian firsts in space convinced many U.S. policymakers that the country had fallen dangerously behind its Cold War rival. Consecutive U.S. administrations invested in education and scientific research to meet the Soviet challenge.
Which country was the first to launch a space mission?
Russia (Soviet Union) Russia is the first country to launch a space mission and the first country to send humans to space. The country's first space flight was under the Vostok program. In 2009, the Russian government had a federal space budget of $2.4billion. The government also spent about $3.8 billion in 2011 and in their 2013 proposed space budget was $5.6 billion.
What is Japan's space program?
Japan Japan is one of Asia 's leading space powers. Its national aerospace research and development activities are controlled by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Japan launched its first satellite, Osumi, into space in February 1970, becoming the fourth country to possess indigenous satellite launch capability. It currently operates a fleet of meteorological, communication, astronomical, and earth observation satellites.
What is the Luxembourg Space Agency?
Luxembourg The Luxembourg Space Agency directs Luxembourg's space program. The country is one of the top countries to explore space operating several remote sensing and communication satellites. Luxembourg is also the headquarters of the world's leading telecommunication satellite operators, Socit Europenne des Satellites (SES) and Intelsat.
What is the European Space Agency?
France Established in 1975 and located in Paris, France, the European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe 's space agency dedicated to exploring natural resources outside the planet. The country's space programs include human spaceflights and various crewless space missions to other planets. In 2012, ESA spent approximately $5.3 billion on its space flight missions.
How many space missions has South Korea launched?
South Korea South Korea's space agency is known as the Korean Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). The country has launched a total of three space flights. The first one, the Naro-1, was sent outside the planet three times. Their third launch was the most successful. The three launches cost the country $450 million.
Which country has the most space missions?
United States of America The United States of America has the highest number of space missions sent out of the earth. It's the second country to send humans to space. Its first space mission under the Mercury Program. The program lasted for five years and cost the country around $277 million. The most famous space mission by the country was the Apollo, which cost the government $20.4 billion and had a lifespan of 15 years.
When did Germany launch its first satellite?
Germany Germany first launched its first satellite, the Azur satellite, in 1969. The country's space program is directed by the German Aerospace Center and supports the ESA and the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT). The country has launched navigation, telecommunication, and earth observation satellites.
