Science and Space

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Shuttle Facts

The shuttle measures 122.2 feet long, 56.67 feet high, with wingspan of 78.06 feet. The height of the full shuttle stack, including the external fuel tank, is 184.2 feet. Gross weight is 4.5 million pounds at liftoff. But when it returns, the orbiter weighs 230,000 pounds. The cargo bay measures 60 feet long and 15 feet in diameter, and can carry cargo equivalent to the size of a school bus. Maximum payload is 29.5 metric tons, or 32.5 U.S. tons.

The cost of a space shuttle is approximately $1.7 billion. That’s in 1991 dollars and based on the cost of replacing Challenger. The average cost of each shuttle mission is $759 million, based on data for fiscal year 2000. The cost of returning the shuttle to flight has been approximately $1.4 billion, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The shuttle’s speed is 17,321 mph, with the shuttle making a circuit of Earth every 90 minutes.

Discovery’s flight plan calls for 186 orbits, giving each crew member about 4.8 million frequent-flier miles.

The shuttle orbits in altitudes ranging from 115 to 400 statute miles. For Discovery’s mission, orbital insertion altitude is 140 statute miles (122 nautical miles), but the orbit is raised to 220 miles for space station docking.

posted by: kyawoo at 19:09 | link | comments |
space shuttle

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