May 30, 2011
This "cutaway" artist's concept exercises some artistic license to reveal systems of the major components of a space shuttle vehicle. With its payload bay doors open here, the shuttle's cryogenic supply station (note cutaway) and the deployable radiator panels (visible) can be seen. In reality, the cargo bay panels would never be open while the orbiter is attached to the solid rocket boosters (SRB) and external fuel tank (ET). The thick-bodied, delta-winged aerospace craft is 37 meters long, has a span of 24 meters (120 feet by 80 feet), and weighs about 75,000 kilograms empty (165,000 lbs). Its payload bay, 18.3 meters long and 4.6 meters in diameter (60 feet by 15 feet) can deliver single or conglomerate payloads of up to 370 kilometers altitude or smaller loads up to 1110 kilometers (230 miles to 690 miles). It can bring payloads of 14,515 kilograms (32,000 lbs) back to Earth and it can carry out a variety of missions lasting seven to 30 days.
Topics: Environment, Space Shuttle Orbiter, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle program, Disaster Accident, Solid rocket booster