The Space Shuttle:A Look Back and A

Look AheadAerospace Education Presentation

Arlington Composite Squadron16 November 2011

Goals for tonightReview the history of the Space Shuttle Program

Understand the components of the Space Transportation System

Talk about successes and failures

Discuss what the Space Shuttle Program has meant and what the future may bring for U.S space flight

HistoryA 1972 concept!

The Nixon administration sought the next step for the U.S. space program

Mars was too expensive

Decided on a reusable spacecraft for low earth orbit

Shuttle Compone

ntsExternal Tank

Solid RocketBoosters

Orbiter

The Orbiters

Enterprise Columbia Challenger

Discovery Atlantis Endeavour

Launch Sites

Launch Complex 39Kennedy Space Center, FL

Space Launch Complex 6Vandenberg AFB, CA(Never Used)

Landing Sites

Shuttle Landing FacilityKennedy Space Center, FL

Rogers Dry Lake BedEdwards AFB, CA

White Sands Space HarborWhite Sands, NM(Used once)

Awesome Successes

Hubble

MMU

Space Station

SpacelabMir

TDRSS

Tragic Losses

ChallengerJanuary 1986

ColumbiaFebruary 2003

Imitation is the most sincere form

of flattery

Soviet Buran shuttle flew once

Rare Sight: 2 Shuttles

Preparing for Launch

Fantastic legacy, but what’s next?

The only ways to get a person to

orbit today…

Shenzhou (China) Soyuz (Russia)

Some Possibilities

NASA Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle

Virgin Galactic SS2 and WK2SpaceX Dragon

Backup Slides

Trivia

More Trivia

One More Bit of Trivia