Anatomy of a NASA Space Shuttle (1981-2011)
This illustration shows the parts of a space shuttle orbiter. About the same size and weight as a DC-9 aircraft, the orbiter contains the pressurized crew compartment (normally carrying up to seven crew members), the cargo bay, and the three main engines mounted on its aft end. The orbiter was the heart and brains of the space shuttle and served as the crew transport vehicle that carried astronauts to and from space. The space shuttle was comprised of the orbiter, the main engines, the external tank, and the solid rocket boosters. The space shuttle was the world’s first reusable spacecraft and the first spacecraft in history that could carry large satellites to and from orbit. The official NASA program name was the Space Transportation System (STS).
NASA’s shuttle fleet achieved numerous firsts and opened up space to more people than ever before during the Space Shuttle Program’s 30 years of missions.
From the first launch on April 12, 1981 to the final landing on July 21, 2011, NASA's space shuttle fleet flew 135 missions, helped construct the International Space Station and inspired generations.
Starting with Columbia and continuing with Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour, the spacecraft has carried people into orbit repeatedly, launched, recovered and repaired satellites, conducted cutting-edge research and built the largest structure in space to date, the International Space Station. The final space shuttle mission, STS-135, ended July 21, 2011 when Atlantis rolled to a stop at its home port, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Image Description: An illustration of a space shuttle orbiter on a white background. There are cutaways revealing parts of the orbiter, like the hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide tanks, engines, and thrusters at left, and the flight deck, mid-deck, and nose gear at front. The orbiter is white and in the middle, has a U.S. flag on it as well as the words "United States" and the initials "USA."
Recycling shuttle parts for NASA's Artemis Human Spaceflight Program to The Moon: For Artemis I to Artemis IV Moon Missions, recycled Shuttle main engines will be used before manufacturing new engines. From Artemis I to Artemis III, recycled Shuttle solid rocket boosters' engines and steel casings are to be used before building new ones. From Artemis I to Artemis VI, the Orion main engine will use six previously flown Space Shuttle orbital maneuvering system (OMS) engines.
Image Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Release Date: July 9, 2025
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