There is a complicated array of materials which comprise the TPS to help keep the astronauts and payload safe during flights. Thermal Protection System - MaterialsĪll the orbiters were covered in TPS materials which protected the shuttles from the heat of re-entry and also cold temperatures experienced when in space, a temperature range of -121-1,649☌. In 2003, Colombia exploded upon re-entry into the atmosphere a piece of insulation foam had broken during launch and struck the left wing, the shuttle’s heat shield was compromised and caused the breakup of the shuttle.Īfter these two incidents the safety of this kind of space travel was called into question and on July 21, 2011, Space Shuttle Atlantis completed the last ever shuttle flight and the remaining three were retired. 73 seconds into its flight, the Challenger broke apart leaving no survivors. Image Credit: Alan Freed/Įndeavour was built as a result of the 1986 Challenger disaster which saw an O-ring seal in the solid rocket booster fail when the space shuttle lifted off. This success was quickly followed by Challenger, Discovery and Atlantis in 1983, 19 respectively.įigure 2.
In 1981, Space Shuttle Columbia made its maiden voyage into space. The first flight was completed in 1977 when the Enterprise, was carried by a Boeing 747 as an unpowered glider and carried out a number of atmospheric tests. In total, six Space Shuttles were built, of which five were launched Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, Endeavour. Enterprise was the first shuttle built and was used for approach and landing tests – it had no orbital capabilities. In order to withstand the high temperatures associated with re-entry, NASA created the Space Shuttle Orbiter Thermal Protection System (TPS). It would then re-enter the atmosphere of the Earth and glide back down to the ground. This reusable spaceplane would make several trips to space carrying astronauts and payloads into low Earth orbit. There were a vast number of challenges that NASA had to overcome when designing the Space Shuttle. Space Shuttle Atlantis launches from the Kennedy Space Center Novemin Cape Canaveral, FL.