Read: SLS: NASA’s Next Big Thing
When constructed in the early 1960s, the crawler-transporters were the largest tracked vehicles ever made and cost $14 million — that’s about $100 million today.
Then, How long does it take to get the space shuttle to the launch pad?
Launch Pad Operations
Once the crawler lowered the mobile launcher platform and shuttle onto a launch pad’s hold-down posts, a team began launch preparations. These required an average of 21 processing days to complete.
Did the Saturn V launch from the crawler? The crawlers are unique in the world, having been built in 1965 to move the massive Saturn V rocket from Ken- nedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to Launch Complex 39. After the Moon landing and Skylab programs ended, the crawlers continued their work, taking space shut- tles to their launch pads for 30 years.
Keeping this in consideration, How heavy was the space shuttle?
The entire shuttle vehicle, fully loaded, weighed about 2 million kg (4.4 million pounds) and required a combined thrust of about 35 million newtons (7.8 million pounds-force) to reach orbital altitude.
Why was the shuttle so expensive?
The costs would have been dramatically lower. The Shuttle was huge because it was designed for a specific type of mission. It could be used to capture orbiting satellites, and return them to Earth within that gigantic payload bay.
How much do astronauts get paid?
Civilian astronaut salaries
GS-11 astronauts average starting salary: $66,026 per year. GS-14 astronauts can earn up to $144,566 per year.
How was Saturn V transported?
Heeding President John F. Kennedy’s call to action, NASA designed and commissioned the Saturn V to carry astronauts into orbit and eventually to the moon. … NASA engineers specially converted the USNS Point Barrow, a military transport ship measuring 70 feet wide by 460 feet long, to carry Saturn V rocket stages.
How many NASA shuttles are there?
6 Space Shuttles were built (although only 5 of them spaceworthy): Challenger, Enterprise, Columbia, Discovery, Atlantis & Endeavour. 4 of them are still around, in various museums.
What is launchpad in army?
A launch pad is an above-ground facility from which a rocket-powered missile or space vehicle is vertically launched. The term launch pad can be used to describe just the central launch platform (mobile launcher platform), or the entire complex (launch complex).
Do astronauts wash their clothes?
So how do astronauts do their laundry in space? Well the answer is, they don’t! On Earth, many of us are able to stick our stained or smelly clothes in the washing machine to get them nice and clean again before we re-wear them. However, there currently isn’t a way for astronauts to do the same.
Could the shuttle go to the moon?
“The space shuttle is designed to travel in low-Earth orbit (within a few hundred miles of the Earth’s surface). It does not carry enough propellant to leave Earth’s orbit and travel to the moon,” the space agency stated. … “We all pointed out that the shuttle could never actually get to the moon.
How many tons could the shuttle carry?
But when it returns, the orbiter weighs 230,000 pounds, about as much as a Boeing 757 jet. 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.
Are there any humans floating in space?
On February 7, 1984, Bruce McCandless became the first human to float free from any earthly anchor when he stepped out of the space shuttle Challenger and flew away from the ship. … He later helped deploy the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit from the space shuttle Discovery in 1990.
Do astronauts get hazard pay?
E.g. US military pilots / astronauts don’t receive Danger Pay unless they work at posts where they’re in imminent danger or under threat of physical harm due to civil insurrection, terrorism, or war conditions.
Will the Saturn V fly again?
What could go wrong? April Fools Faced with spiralling costs for its Space Launch System (SLS) and pressure to put American boots on the Moon by 2024, NASA is to return the Saturn V to flight.
Why is it called Saturn V?
The Saturn V was a rocket NASA built to send people to the moon. (The V in the name is the Roman numeral five.) The Saturn V was a type of rocket called a Heavy Lift Vehicle. That means it was very powerful.
What was Saturn V used for?
The Saturn V was a rocket NASA built to send people to the moon. A Heavy Lift Vehicle, it was the most powerful rocket that had ever flown successfully. The Saturn V was used in the Apollo program in the 1960s and 1970s and was also used to launch the Skylab space station.
Why did NASA stop using shuttles?
The shuttle was revealed to be a high-risk, experimental vehicle — something most astronauts had known all along. The subsequent investigation also revealed serious problems with NASA’s safety culture. Still, the space agency took its lashings and made the changes required to get the shuttle flying again.
Which space shuttle did not fly?
Enterprise was the first space shuttle, although it never flew in space. It was used to test critical phases of landing and other aspects of shuttle preparations. Enterprise was mounted on top of a modified 747 airliner for the Approach and Landing Tests in 1977.
How many shuttles are there?
NASA commissioned six space shuttles under its Space Shuttle Program fleet: the Enterprise, Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour. Four of the six space shuttles can be viewed in museums throughout the country.
What are the 4 towers around a launch pad?
The 4 towers around the launching pad are the “lightning suppression system.” The 4 towers around the launching pad are the “lightning suppression system.” They are used to redirect lightning in the immediate area. This essentially creates a Faraday cage, shielding the rocket from being fried by lightning.
What is the purpose of a launchpad?
Launchpad helps you open, find, and organize your apps. Launchpad is an easy way to find and open apps on your Mac. You can even arrange and organize your apps into folders.
How do astronauts poop?
To poop, astronauts used thigh straps to sit on the small toilet and to keep a tight seal between their bottoms and the toilet seat. It didn’t work very well and was hard to keep clean. … To poop, astronauts lift the toilet lid and sit on the seat — just like here on Earth.
Do astronauts drink pee?
Astronauts have been drinking recycled urine aboard the ISS since 2009. However, this new toilet makes the process more efficient and more comfortable.
Do astronauts wash dishes?
Some previous space stations were equipped with showers, but these are not fitted in the Shuttle or the ISS. Instead, astronauts use a damp, soapy cloth for washing. There is no washing of dirty dishes either. … Urine produced when astronauts use the toilet is also purified and recycled.