"Space Shuttle Atlantis (OV-104) is currently one among the three operational spacecraft in the Space Shuttle fleet of NASA. It was named after the two-masted boat of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts from 1930 to 1966 and it served as the primary research vessel. Atlantis' maiden flight was on October 1985. Atlantis went seven straight flights to the Russian space station Mir. The spacecraft served as the on-orbit launch site for many notable and noteworthy spacecrafts, including planetary probes Magellan and Galileo. In 1991, it deployed the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. Atlantis underwent refitting operations and modifications including the installation of a glass cockpit. Atlantis completed an 11-day mission to the International Space Station, involving three space walks in October 2002. During September 9-24, 2005, Atlantis was scheduled for its 27th launch though the mission was suspended by NASA due to the complications during Discovery's launch of mission STS-114 and there are subsequent suspensions of all future shuttle launches. Atlantis was scheduled to fly the STS-121 mission, but the mission was flown by Discovery instead. In the recent years, Atlantis has delivered several vital components, the U.S. laboratory module, Destiny, the Joint Airlock Quest and multiple sections of the Integrated Truss structure that serves as the backbone of the International Space Station. As of September 2006, Atlantis completed 28 flights, spent 220.40-days in space, completed 3,468 orbits and flown 89,908,732 nautical miles in total. Atlantis is scheduled to remain operational until 2010, the Shuttle program's projected end, but is not currently scheduled for any missions further in 2008. "
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"Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-104) is one of the fleet of space shuttles belonging to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The fourth orbiter to become operational at Kennedy Space Center, it was named after the primary research vessel for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts from 1930 to 1966. The two-masted, 460-ton ketch was the first US vessel to be used for oceanographic research. The spaceship Atlantis has carried on the spirit of the sailing vessel with several important voyages of its own. Atlantis benefitted from lessons learned in the construction and testing of Enterprise, Columbia and Challenger. At rollout, its weight was 6,974 pounds lighter than Columbia. It was also completed with 49.5 percent fewer man hours compared to Columbia. Much of this decrease can be attributed to the greater use of thermal protection blankets on the upper orbiter body instead of tiles. From November 1997 to July 1999, Atlantis underwent 165 modifications, including a drag chute, new plumbing lines, over 800 new heat protection tiles and blankets, and new insulation for the main landing gear doors. Atlantis made its first flight in October 1985, conducting classified military activities. In 1989, it deployed two planetary probes, Magellan and Galileo, and in 1991, it deployed the Arthur Holley Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. Beginning in 1995, Atlantis made seven straight flights to the Russian space station Mir. In October 2002, after a four-year hiatus, the space shuttle and its six-person crew completed the eleven-day STS-115 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) that involved three space walks. On June 8, 2007, Atlantis launched on its longest-ever mission, STS-117, which lasted almost 14 days. The spaceship is scheduled to be retired in 2010 after it completes STS-131, where it will carry the Docking Cargo Module to the ISS. "
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"The Space Shuttle Orbiter formally started on January 5, 1972 by Richard Nixion. The first orbiters were manufactured by Rockwell International and then later by Boeing. The space Shuttle Orbiter was designed to replace the expendable launch vehicles that NASA was using to deliver commercial, scientific and applications spacecraft into Earth's orbit. The Orbiter's main engines and boosters combined allows the orbiter to reach orbit. The orbiter comprises of three primary elements, the first element, a delta-winged orbiter spacecraft having large crew compartment, cargo bay and three main engines, second is its two solid rocket boosters and the third, is an external fuel tank which houses the liquid hydrogen and oxidizer burned in the main engines. The Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) provides orbital maneuvers which includes insertion, circularizattion, transfer, rendezvous, abort to orbit and abort once around. The Reaction Control System (RCS) provides altitude control and translation along the pitch, roll and yaw axes during the flight phases of orbit insertion, orbit and re-entry. The Thermal Protection System (TPS) covers the outside of the Orbiter, for protection against the cold soak of -121 degree Celsius in space to the 1649 degree Celsius heat of re-entry. The Space Shuttle Orbiter's individual fleets are named and numbered similar to ships. All orbiters tend to be externally and identically similar, but they have minor internal differences. The Challenger (OV-099) was destroyed after its liftoff in January 28, 1986. The Eneterprise (OV-101) was used for test landings. The Columbia which was destroyed during reentry in February 1, 2003. And the other orbiters, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavor. As of August 21, 2007, Columbia and Challenger are no longer in service. "
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"The Space Shuttle Orbiter formally started on January 5, 1972 by Richard Nixion. The first orbiters were manufactured by Rocwell International and then later by Boeing. The space Shuttle Orbiter was designed to replace the expendable launch vehicles that NASA was using to deliver commercial, scientific and applications spacecraft into Earth's orbit. The Orbiter's main engines and boosters combined allows the orbiter to reach orbit. The orbiter comprises of three primary elements, the first element, a delta-winged orbiter spacecraft having large crew compartment, cargo bay and three main engines, second is its two solid rocket boosters and the third, is an external fuel tank which houses the liquid hydrogen and oxidizer burned in the main engines. The Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) provides orbital maneuvers which includes insertion, circularizattion, transfer, rendezvous, abort to orbit and abort once around. The Reaction Control System (RCS) provides altitude control and translation along the pitch, roll and yaw axes during the flight phases of orbit insertion, orbit and re-entry. The Thermal Protection System (TPS) covers the outside of the Orbiter, for protection against the cold soak of -121 degree Celsius in space to the 1649 degree Celsius heat of re-entry. The Space Shuttle Orbiter's individual fleets are named and numbered similar to ships. All orbiters tend to be externally and identically similar, but they have minor internal differences. The Challenger (OV-099) was destroyed after its liftoff in January 28, 1986. The Eneterprise (OV-101) was used for test landings. The Columbia which was destroyed during reentry in February 1, 2003. And the other orbiters, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavor. As of August 21, 2007, Columbia and Challenger are no longer in service "
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The orbital spaceplanes are designed to ascend orbit vertically under rocket power like conventional expendable launch vehicles. Orbital spaceplanes has a much smaller payload fraction than a ballistic design with the same takeoff weight. Thus, it significantly reduces the payload size due to the wings' weight, but the reusability is intended to offset the disadvantage.
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"The Space Shuttle Orbiter is the Orbital vehicle of the Space Shuttle and is a mixture of rocket, spacecraft and aircraft. It is a reusable winged ""spaceplane"" and it launches crew and payload into Earth orbit and performs on-orbit operations. Individual Orbiters are both named and numbered, a similar manner to ships by the NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation system. All Orbiters' external structures are very similar, though they have minor differences such as new equipment fitted on a rotating basis for maintenance and the newer Orbiters tend to be structurally lighter. The first test Shuttle, the Enterprise, was designed for testing the Space Shuttle behavior in atmospheric flight. Columbia, first launched on April 12, 1981 and the first space shuttle to fly into orbit. Challenger, first launched on April 4, 1983 and the second orbiter to become operational at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Discovery, first launched on August 30, 1984, has flown 33 missions and is still currently operational though Discovery will be retiring in 2010. Atlantis, first launched on October 3, 1985, has flown 26 missions and is still operational today but will be retiring also in 2010. And the Endeavor, first launched on May 7, 1992 and has flown 19 missions and still operational but is due to retire also in 2010. The Orbiter's crew cabin has a flight deck, mid-deck and utility area. The Orbiter has a large payload bay at about 60 by 15 feet. There are three Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs) mounted on the Orbiter's aft fuselage in a triangular pattern. The aft fuselage houses three auxiliary power units. The Orbiter structure is primarily made from aluminum alloy, although the engine thrust structure is made from titanium alloy. Space Shuttle Orbiters support scientific experiments and observations, spacecraft deployment, retrieval, service and repair, assembly of large space structures, such as the International Space Station and other various space operations. "
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"NASA had many successful space missions and programs, including over 150 unmanned missions and many space flight missions, most notably the space mission on Mars. NASA probes have been continually performing science at Mars since 1997, with at least two orbiters since 2001 and several Mars rovers. The orbiting Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will continue monitoring the geology and climate of the Red Planet and will continue searching for evidence of water and life presence, as they have since 2001 and 2006. The cockpit houses the pressurized crew module and it provides support for the nose section, nose gear and the nose gear wheel well and doors. The crew station consists of the flight deck, middle deck/equipment bay and an airlock. The flight deck permits the vehicle to be piloted from either seat and permits one-man emergency return while the middle deck contains provisions and stowage facilities for four crew sleep stations. The Orbiter is both the brains and heart of the Space Transportation System. About the same size and weight as a DC-9 aircraft, the Orbiter contains the pressurized crew compartment,the huge cargo bay and the three main engines mounted on its aft end and a midfuselage that supports the payload bay of the Orbiter."
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"Endeavour, the last addition to the orbiter fleet, is named after the first ship commanded by James Cook, the 18th century British explorer, navigator and astronomer. On Endeavour's maiden voyage in August 1768, Cook sailed to the South Pacific (to observe and record the infrequent event of the planet Venus passing between the Earth and the sun). Determining the transit of Venus enabled early astronomers to find the distance of the sun from the Earth, which then could be used as a unit of measurement in calculating the parameters of the universe. In 1769, Cook was the first person to fully chart New Zealand (which was previously visited in 1642 by the Dutchman Abel Tasman from the Dutch province of Groningen). Cook also surveyed the eastern coast of Australia , navigated the Great Barrier Reef and traveled to Hawaii. Cook's voyage on the Endeavour also established the usefulness of sending scientists on voyages of exploration. While sailing with Cook, naturalist Joseph Banks and Carl Solander collected many new families and species of plants, and encountered numerous new species of animals. Endeavour and her crew reportedly made the first long-distance voyage on which no crewman died from scurvy, the dietary disease caused by lack of ascorbic acids. Cook is credited with being the first captain to use diet as a cure for scurvy, when he made his crew eat cress, sauerkraut and an orange extract. The Endeavour was small at about 368 tons, 100 feet in length and 20 feet in width. In contrast, its modern day namesake is 78 tons, 122 feet in length and 78 feet wide. The Endeavour of Captain Cook's day had a round bluff bow and a flat bottom. The ship's career ended on a reef along Rhode Island. For the first time, a national competition involving students in elementary and secondary schools produced the name of the new orbiter; it was announced by President George Bush in 1989. The Space Shuttle orbiter Endeavour was delivered to Kennedy Space Center in May 1991, and flew its first mission, highlighted by the dramatic rescue of a stranded communications satellite, a year later in May 1992. In the day-to-day world of Shuttle operations and processing, Space Shuttle orbiters go by a more prosaic designation. Endeavour is commonly refered to as OV-105, for Orbiter Vehicle-105. Empty Weight was 151,205 lbs at rollout and 172,000 lbs with main engines installed. "
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The Space Shuttle Orbiter is the Space Shuttle's orbital vehicle. The orbiter carries most of the main propulsion system for reusable purpose, but the propellant for the three main engines is fed by an external Tank, and solid boosters, helping it to propel during the first two minutes of ascent. Its crew cabin consists of the flight deck, mid-deck and the utility area. The Orbiter hs a large 60 by 15 ft payload bay, filling most of the midfuselage. There are three Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs) mounted on the Orbiter's aft fuselage in a triangular pattern. The Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) provides orbital maneuvers, including insertion, circularization, transfer, rendezvous, abort to orbit and abort once around. The Reaction Control System (RCS) provides altitude control and translation along with the pitch, roll and yaw axes during the flight phases of orbit insertion, orbit and re-entry. The Thermal Protection System (TPS) covers the outside of the Orbiter for protection from cold temperature. The Orbiter is made primarily from aluminum alloy. There are six individual orbiters; the Enterprise, Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour.
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"The construction of the Orbiter Atlantis began on March 3, 1980. On April 9, 1985, Atlantis arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and prepared for its maiden voyage over the next seven months. Atlantis was completed in just about half the time in man-hours spent on Columbia and this was due to lessons learned regarding the construction testing of orbiters Enterprise, Columbia and Challenger. Atlantis weighs at about 151,315 pounds, nearly 3.5 tons lighter than Columbia. On October 3, 1985, Atlantis launched its first space flight, STS-51-J, with a classified payload for the U.S. Deprtment of Defense. Atlantis went on to carry four more DOD payloads on its later mission. The mission is commanded by Navy Capt. Brent Jett, a veteran of three previous spaceflights. Navy Capt. Chris Ferguson, a first-time flyer, joined Jett who will serve as the mission's pilot. Joe Tanner, crewmate of Jett's on the STS-97 mission, will be leading the two teams of spacewalkers in his fourth spaceflight. NASA has delayed the launch of space shuttle Atlantis that was supposedly scheduled on September 7, 2006 due to a fuel cell anomaly."
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"The Douglas Skyrocket (D-558-2) was a rocket and jet-powered research aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company for the United States Navy. On November 20, 1953, shortly before the 50th anniversary of powered flight, Scott Crossfield piloted the D-558-2 to Mach 2, the first time an aircraft had exceeded twice the speed of sound. Since it was so fast, it would sometimes be used to fly over enemy territories and take pictures. A total of three Skyrockets had been built, and all are now on display in different locations. "
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"The Douglas Skystreak (D-558-1) was designed in 1945 by the Douglas Aircraft Company for the US Navy Bureau of Aeronautics, in conjunction with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). The Skystreak was a turbojet powered aircraft that took off from the ground under its own power and had straight wings and tails. The D-558-1 reached Mach 0.99 in level flight, but only flew supersonic in a dive. In the public mind, much of the research performed by the D-558-1 was quickly overshadowed by Chuck Yeager and the supersonic X-1 rocket plane. However, the Skystreak played an important role in aeronautical research by flying for extended periods of time at transonic speeds, which freed the X-1 to fly for limited periods at supersonic speeds. "
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