The space shuttle was a complex spacecraft made up of three main parts: the orbiter, the external tank, and the solid rocket boosters:
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OrbiterThe orbiter was the part that resembled an airplane and was where the astronauts lived and rode. It was made of aircraft-grade aluminum alloys, graphite epoxy payload bay doors, and a boron/epoxy composite reinforced titanium thrust structure.
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External tankThe external tank was the largest component of the shuttle and was a large orange fuel tank. It contained two internal tanks, one for liquid hydrogen and one for liquid oxygen, which provided fuel to the main engines.
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Solid rocket boostersThe solid rocket boosters looked like two thin rockets and provided the lift from Earth’s gravity.
Here are some other specifications for the space shuttle:
- Length: 184 feet
- Height: 57 feet on runway
- Wingspan: 78 feet
- Liftoff weight: 4.5 million pounds
- Orbit: 115 to 386 statute miles from Earth
- Velocity: 17,321 mph
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