Space Shuttle Gallery

Space Shuttle launch

Space Shuttle launch, computer enhanced image. This is mission STS-99, flown by the Space Shuttle Endeavour. It launched on 11 February 2000. Space Shuttles, flown by NASA since 1981, are reusable spacecraft launched with an external fuel tank (orange) and two booster rockets (white) on either side of the external tank. Liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen fuel from the external tank is used to run the Shuttle's main internal engines (blue exhaust gases). Most of the thrust is from the two booster rockets that use an explosive solid fuel mixture. The external tank is discarded, but the booster rockets parachute back to Earth and are reused. An ascent takes about 9 minutes. The Shuttle uses its wings to glide back to Earth after it has re-entered the atmosphere

© DETLEV VAN RAVENSWAAY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Manned maneuvring unit space walk, 1984

Manned maneuvring unit space walk, 1984. Astronaut Bruce McCandless floats free above the Earth in his manned manoeuvring unit (MMU) on 7th February 1984, during the 10th space shuttle flight (mission 41B). McCandless, who helped design the MMU, was the first person to fly it, thus becoming the first "human satellite" in orbit around the Earth. The MMU is propelled by small nitrogen thrusters which are controlled by the astronaut's hands. Because no umbilical cord attaches the astronaut to the spacecraft, it gives much greater mobility than was available to earlier spacewalkers. Mission 41B was launched from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on 3rd February 1984, and landed back at KSC on 12th February

© NASA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Space Shuttle - spacewalk, 1980s. Creator: NASA

Space Shuttle - spacewalk, 1980s. EVA - Extra Vehicular Activity - from the Orbiter space shuttle. The Space Shuttle program, (official name, Space Transportation System or STS), was the fourth human spaceflight program carried out by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which accomplished routine Earth-to-orbit transport for crew and cargo between 1981 and 2011

© Heritage Space / Heritage-Images