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Frequently Asked QuestionsText SizeSpace Shuttle and International Space

StationQ. How much does the Space Shuttlecost?
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Q. How can I view a Shuttlelaunch?

Q. What is a launch window?Q. What are the names of theSpace Shuttle orbiters?Q. Is it true that launching theSpace Shuttle creates a localozone hole, and that the Space

Shuttle releases more chlorinethan all industrial usesworldwide?Q. How are NASA program namessuch as Mercury, Gemini and

Apollo chosen?Q. Why hasn't the United Statesdeveloped a way to rescueastronauts who are in trouble onspace missions?Q. What are the dimensions of the

Space Shuttles?Q. How can I find out if theShuttle will pass over my areawhere I can see it as it descends


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to land at KSC?Q. How much does it cost to

launch a Space Shuttle?Q. Did any Shuttle launches takeplace at Vandenberg Air ForceBase in California?Q. What types of propellants areused in the Shuttle? How much do

they weigh?Q. Can I apply to take a ride onthe Space Shuttle? Can I be thefirst kid in Space?Q. How fast does a Shuttle travel?

What is its altitude? How muchfuel does it use?Q. Can the Space Shuttle fly tothe Moon?Q. Why is so much water releasedat the pad during launch?

Q. How many launches did SpaceShuttle Columbia fly?Q. How are modern spacesuitsdifferent than the first ones?


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Q. What does STS stand for?Q. How are Shuttle missions

numbered? Why don't themissions launch in number order?Q. How do they track time inspace?Q. What happens to usedspacecraft? Where is the

Enterprise, the first SpaceShuttle?Q. How do astronauts in space goto the bathroom and take care oftheir personal hygiene?

Q. What should I do if I find apiece of debris that may havecome from the Space ShuttleColumbia?Q. Please explain the countdownsequence and all of the different

holds.Q. Where in the sky can I see theInternational Space Station or theSpace Shuttle?


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Q. What is the International SpaceStation used for?

Q. How much does the SpaceShuttle cost?A. The Space Shuttle Endeavour, theorbiter built to replace the Space

Shuttle Challenger, costapproximately $1.7 billion.

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Q. How can I view a Shuttlelaunch?A. Due to recent world events, NASAhas suspended the issuance of car

passes for Space Shuttle launchviewing from inside the KennedySpace Center. Bus tickets to viewSpace Shuttle launches are available


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through Delaware North Park Servicesat the Visitor Complex. Visitors to the

Kennedy Space Center may inquireabout these tickets by contactingKennedy's Visitor Complex at (321)449-4444 or by visiting their Web sitelisted below.

+ Launch Viewing Passes

Launches are always subject tounanticipated delays and changes. Forupdated information, please call1-877-

893-NASA (6272) for the KSC launchstatus report. For up-to-dateinformation on the next launch, checkout the NASA Launch Schedule linkbelow.

+ NASA Launch Schedule

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http://www.store.yahoo.com/kennedyspacecenter/ltt.htmlhttp://www.nasa.gov/missions/highlights/schedule.htmlhttp://www.store.yahoo.com/kennedyspacecenter/ltt.htmlhttp://www.nasa.gov/missions/highlights/schedule.html


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Q. What is a launch window?A. A launch window is the preciseperiod of time, ranging from minutesto hours, within which a launch mustoccur for a rocket or Space Shuttle tobe positioned in the proper orbit.

Sometimes, this window is determinedby the passing of an orbitingspacecraft with which the orbiter mustrendezvous, such as the International

Space Station or an ailing satellite. Atother times, the Space Shuttle or anunmanned rocket must be launchedwithin a certain window so that it canrelease its satellite payload at theright time to place it in an orbit over a

certain region of Earth.

For more information, please click onthe launch window link below.


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+ Launch Window

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Q. What are the names of the

Space Shuttle orbiters?A. Their names, in the order they werebuilt, are Enterprise, Columbia,Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, andEndeavour. The Enterprise was flown

only within Earth's atmosphere, duringShuttle approach and landing testsconducted in 1977. Columbia flew thefirst five Shuttle missions, beginningin April 1981, and was modified to flyextended-duration missions as long as

16 days. Columbia and its seven-member crew were lost during reentryon Feb. 1, 2003. Challenger was builtas a vibration-test vehicle and then
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/preparingtravel/setting_the_date.htmlhttp://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/preparingtravel/setting_the_date.html


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upgraded to become the secondoperational Shuttle. The Challenger

and its seven-member crew were lostin a launch accident on Jan. 28, 1986.Discovery made its first flight inAugust 1984, and Atlantis followed inOctober 1985. Endeavour, built toreplace Challenger, made its debut in

May 1992 with a dramatic missionthat featured the rescue of a strandedIntelsat 6 commercial communicationssatellite.

The link below will take you to theNASA Orbiter Fleet site providingdescriptions of the Space Shuttles.

+ NASA's Orbiter Fleet

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http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/orbiters_toc.htmlhttp://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/orbiters_toc.html


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Q. Is it true that launching theSpace Shuttle creates a local

ozone hole, and that the SpaceShuttle releases more chlorinethan all industrial usesworldwide?A. No, that is not true. NASA hasstudied the effects of exhaust from

the Space Shuttle's solid rocketmotors on the ozone. In a 1990 reportto Congress, NASA found that thechlorine released annually in thestratosphere (assuming launches of

nine Shuttle missions and six Titan IVs-- which also have solid rocket motors-- per year) would be about 0.25percent of the total amount ofhalocarbons released annuallyworldwide (0.725 kilotons by the

Shuttle 300 kilotons from all sources).

The report concludes that SpaceShuttle launches at the current rate


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pose no significant threat to the ozonelayer and will have no lasting effect on

the atmosphere. The exhaust plumefrom the Shuttle represents a trivialfraction of the atmosphere, and evenif ozone destruction occurred withinthe initial plume, its global impactwould be inconsequential.

Further, the corridor of exhaust gasesspreads over a lateral extent ofgreater than 600 miles in a day, so nolocal "ozone hole" could occur above

the launch site. Images taken byNASA's Total Ozone MappingSpectrometer at various pointsfollowing Shuttle launches show nomeasurable ozone decrease.

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Q. How are NASA program namessuch as Mercury, Gemini and

Apollo chosen?A. NASA officials consider a variety offactors when choosing a name for aprogram. Sometimes the names aredescriptive, like Skylab or the SpaceShuttle. Some names honor famous

scientists and explorers, like Galileo,Hubble and Magellan.

Others are chosen from classicalmythology that relates to some

feature of the mission. Mercury wasthe messenger of the gods. Gemini,Latin for twins, was appropriatebecause each Gemini mission carriedtwo astronauts. Apollo was the god ofthe Sun, who spread knowledge. For

the origins of NASA names, pleaserefer to the Web site link below.

+ Origin of NASA Names
http://history.nasa.gov/SP-4402/SP-4402.htmhttp://history.nasa.gov/SP-4402/SP-4402.htm


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+ Back to Top

Q. Why hasn't the United Statesdeveloped a way to rescueastronauts who are in trouble on

space missions?A. NASA has a range of systems thatcould come to the aid of endangeredastronauts.

Following the Shuttle Challengeraccident, NASA developed anemergency escape hatch for theShuttle fleet that enablescrewmembers to exit from the side ofa Shuttle on a parachute during

certain types of emergencies in thelater parts of a landing.

Aboard the Space Station, resident


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crews have access to a modifiedRussian Soyuz spacecraft as an

emergency rescue vehicle should theyneed to leave the outpost when aSpace Shuttle is not docked to it. Amore advanced rescue vehicle may bedeveloped in the future.

+ Back to Top

Q. What are the dimensions of the

Space Shuttles?A. For detailed information on thedimensions of the Space Shuttle,please click on the link below.

+ Shuttle Dimensions

+ Back to Top
http://www.spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/reference/basics/index.htmlhttp://www.spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/reference/basics/index.html


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Q. How can I find out if the Space

Shuttle will pass over my areawhere I can see it as it descendsto land at Kennedy Space Center?A. Landing ground tracks are availableonline on NASA's Human Space FlightWeb site 24 to 48 hours before each

scheduled Space Shuttle landing. Clickon the link below.

+ Shuttle Ground Tracks

For information about NASA Kennedy'sShuttle Landing Facility (SLF), click onthe following link:

+ Shuttle Landing Facility

+ Back to Top
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/groundtracs/http://shuttlepayloads.jsc.nasa.gov/flying/tour/slf1.htmhttp://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/groundtracs/http://shuttlepayloads.jsc.nasa.gov/flying/tour/slf1.htm


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Q. How much does it cost tolaunch a Space Shuttle?

A. The average cost to launch a SpaceShuttle is about $450 million permission.

+ Back to Top

Q. Did any Space Shuttle launchestake place at Vandenberg AirForce Base in California?

A. A joint decision by the U.S. AirForce and NASA to consolidate SpaceShuttle operations at Kennedy SpaceCenter in Florida, following theChallenger accident in 1986, resultedin the official termination of the Space

Shuttle program at Vandenberg onDecember 26, 1989, before anylaunches took place there. For moreinformation about Vandenberg AFB,


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see the Web site link listed below.

+ Vandenberg AFB

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Q. What types of propellants areused in the Shuttle? How much dothey weigh?A. At liftoff, an orbiter and ExternalTank carry 835,958 gallons of the

principle liquid propellants: hydrogen,oxygen, hydrazine,monomethylhydrazine, and nitrogentetroxide. The total weight is1,607,185 pounds.

+ Back to Top
http://www.vandenberg.af.mil/http://www.vandenberg.af.mil/


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Q. Can I apply to take a ride onthe Space Shuttle? Can I be the

first kid in Space?A. NASA has no immediate plans tosend children, teenagers or any othergeneral citizens into space. For thenear future at least, space flightremains too risky and too expensive

for anyone but highly trainedastronauts and payload specialists.However, one of our goals is to helpindustry develop new rocket systemsthat would make space flight much

more simple and routine, so thatmany more people could go into orbitin the future.

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Q. How fast does a Shuttle travel?What is its altitude? How much


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fuel does it use?A. Like any other object in low-Earth

orbit, a Space Shuttle must reachspeeds of about 17,500 miles per hour(28,000 kilometers per hour) toremain in orbit. The exact speeddepends on the Space Shuttle's orbitalaltitude, which normally ranges from

190 miles to 330 miles (304kilometers to 528 kilometers) abovesea level, depending on its mission.

Each of the two Solid Rocket Boosters

on the Space Shuttle carries morethan one million pounds of solidpropellant. The Space Shuttle's largeExternal Tank is loaded with morethan 500,000 gallons of super-coldliquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen,

which are mixed and burned togetherto form the fuel for the orbiter's threemain rocket engines.


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+ Back to Top

Q. Can the Space Shuttle fly tothe Moon?A. No, the Space Shuttle is designedto travel in low-Earth orbit (within a

few hundred miles of the Earth'ssurface). It does not carry enoughpropellant to leave Earth's orbit andtravel to the Moon. The Space Shuttlealso is not designed to land on the

Moon since it lands like an airplaneand the Moon has no atmosphere. TheShuttle could be used to carry piecesof Moon or Mars vehicles to low-Earthorbit, where they could be assembledprior to beginning their mission.

+ Back to Top


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Q. Why is so much water released

at the pad during launch?A. A sound-suppression water systemwas installed on the pads at LaunchComplex 39 following the ApolloProgram to protect the Space Shuttleorbiter and its payloads from damage

by acoustical energy reflected fromthe Mobile Launcher Platform (MLP)during launch. The Space Shuttle ismuch closer to the surface of the MLPthan was the Saturn V rocket, carrying

the Apollo spacecraft. Acousticallevels reach their peak when theSpace Shuttle is about 300 feet abovethe platform and cease to be aproblem at an altitude of about 1,000feet. For additional information,

please refer to the Web site linkbelow.

+ Sound Suppression System
http://www.nasa.gov/missions/shuttle/f_watertest.htmlhttp://www.nasa.gov/missions/shuttle/f_watertest.html


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+ Back to Top

Q. How many launches did SpaceShuttle Columbia fly?A. For a list of Columbia's launches

prior to STS-107, please refer to theWeb site link below.

+ Space Shuttle Launch History

+ Back to Top

Q. How are modern spacesuitsdifferent than the first ones?

A. Early portable life-support systemswere cumbersome and often verytiring to use. In the Mercury, Geminiand Apollo Programs, each spacesuit
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was tailored to fit a specificastronaut.

Today's Space Shuttle spacesuitscome in two major pieces, each ofwhich comes in several different sizes.They have more flexible joints thanearly spacesuits and better

environmental controls. They also canbe repaired and reused many times.Spacesuits on the International SpaceStation are improved versions of thesesuits.

+ Back to Top

Q. What does STS stand for?

A. "STS" stands for "SpaceTransportation System," the originalname for the Space Shuttle Program.


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+ Back to Top

Q. How are Space Shuttlemissions numbered? Why don'tthe missions launch in numberorder?

A. Every launch is assigned an "STS"number. The mission numbers areassigned in order when they are onthe "drawing board." However, somecircumstances with payload

development or orbiter processing, forexample, may cause one mission tobe postponed, allowing anothermission to move ahead of it in line.Imagine that you are standing in linewith other people to buy tickets to an

event, and each one of you is given anumber based on your place in theline. If you cannot find your money,you may say to the person behind


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you, "Go ahead of me because I'm notready." Your number is the same and

his number is the same; but hestepped ahead of you because youneeded more time. Now, imagine thatthis process is happening to others inline. Everyone keeps his originalnumber. Although the numbers may

get mixed up, everyone eventuallygets his or her turn.

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Q. How do they track time inspace?A. Astronauts go by Mission ElapsedTime, or MET. In this time frame, the

clock starts ticking when theastronauts blast off. Minutesaccumulate into days, hours, minutesand seconds that have passed since


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liftoff. The clock stops when the SpaceShuttle's wheels again touch Earth,

and the total MET is tabulated.

+ Back to Top

Q. What happens to usedspacecraft? Where is theEnterprise, the first SpaceShuttle?A. All retired NASA space vehicles

belong to the Smithsonian Institution'sAir and Space Museum. In earlyhuman space flight programs such asMercury, Gemini and Apollo, thespacecraft underwent detailed post-mission analysis that often yielded

important new information on therigors of traveling in space. Most ofthese vehicles are displayed for thepublic at NASA Centers and science


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museums across the country.

The Space Shuttle Enterprise, whichwas not designed to fly in space,made a series of appearances at airshows in the United States, Europeand Canada before being turned overto the Air and Space Museum. It is

now on display in the McDonnellSpace Hangar at the National Air andSpace Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.

For additional information, pleaserefer to the Web site link below.

+ Space Shuttle Enterprise

+ Back to Top

Q. How do astronauts in space go
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to the bathroom and take care oftheir personal hygiene?

A. Astronauts brush their teeth justlike they do on Earth. There is noshower on the orbiter, so astronautsmust make do with sponge baths untilthey return home. Each Space Shuttlehas a toilet that can be used by both

men and women. Designed to be asmuch as possible like those on Earth,the units use flowing air instead ofwater to move waste through thesystem. Solid wastes are compressed

and stored onboard, and thenremoved after landing. Wastewater isvented to space, although futuresystems may recycle it, such as theydo on the International Space Station.The air is filtered to remove odor and

bacteria and then returned to thecabin.


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+ Back to Top

Q. What should I do if I find apiece of debris that may havecome from the Space ShuttleColumbia?A. If you find a piece of debris that

may have come from the SpaceShuttle Columbia, you should nottouch it but call the ColumbiaRecovery Office at (866) 446-6603(toll-free). All debris is United States

Government property and should bereported to government authorities.Unauthorized persons found inpossession of accident debris will beprosecuted to the full extent of thelaw.

+ Back to Top


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Q. Please explain the countdown

sequence and all of the differentholds.A. The basics of the countdown andthe scheduled holds are availableonline at the Web site link below.

+ Countdown Sequence

+ Back to Top

Q. Where in the sky can I see theInternational Space Station or theSpace Shuttle?A. The naked-eye visibility charts forthe International Space Station and

the Space Shuttle during a missioncan be found through the HumanSpace Flight home page at the Website link listed below.
http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/shuttle/countdown/ctdn101.htmhttp://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/shuttle/countdown/ctdn101.htm


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+ ISS Sightings

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Q. What is the International Space

Station used for?A. The International Space Station(ISS), the largest internationalscientific and technological endeavorever undertaken, draws on the

resources and scientific expertise of16 nations around the world. Canada,Japan, 11 members of the EuropeanSpace Agency, Russia and Brazil areour partners. It is a permanentlaboratory where gravity, temperature

and pressure can be manipulated in avariety of scientific and engineeringpursuits in ways that are impossible inground-based laboratories.
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/


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The ISS tests new, advanced industrial

materials and communicationstechnology, and conducts medicalresearch. For more information,please click on the links below.

+ ISS Partners

+ ISS Overview

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Don't see your question?+ Click here to ask!

+ Back to FAQ main page

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http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/reference/partners/index.htmlhttp://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/presskits/ffs_iss_overview.htmlmailto:[email protected]://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/about/information/faq.htmlhttp://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/reference/partners/index.htmlhttp://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/presskits/ffs_iss_overview.htmlmailto:[email protected]://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/about/information/faq.html


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