1981

Space Shuttle Orbiter

The US space shuttle orbiter, first launched in 1981, looks like something from outer space. It has a strange shape. It has rocket engines sticking out the back. The entire midsection has huge doors that cover an immense cargo bay. And the whole thing is covered in very strange ceramic tiles.

Yet at its core, the space shuttle is an airplane. It is made of aluminum using the same techniques that we see in an ordinary passenger jet. Then there are a number of additions that let this airplane orbit the earth in the vacuum of space. It is a great example of engineers taking a list of special requirements and bringing them into reality.

The first thing that makes the orbiter unique is a crew compartment that doubles as a space capsule. It seals tight and has a life support system that replenishes oxygen, removes CO2 and humidity, and maintains the correct pressure.

The second big point of uniqueness is the need to handle reentry heat. A normal aluminum airplane would quickly melt and disintegrate during reentry because temperatures on parts of the orbiter go as high as 1,600°F (3,000°C). So the orbiter has different types of thermal protection for different temperature areas. The nose of the orbiter hits the highest temperatures, so it has a cover made of reinforced carbon-carbon. The underside is the next hottest, so it uses one type of silica tile. Other parts of the orbiter use other types of tiles, or flexible insulation blankets.

The third thing is the rocket engines. The three big ones on the back are used strictly to provide thrust during launch, and are placed there so they can be more easily reused. Smaller engines provide thrust to speed up or slow down the orbiter and also to change its orientation in space.

Other unique systems on the orbiter include a five-way redundant computer system, a space toilet, the massive cargo bay and cargo bay doors for bringing large payloads into orbit, a radiator system built into the cargo doors to dissipate heat in the vacuum, and a robot arm used to manipulate things in the cargo bay.

SEE ALSO Hall-Héroult Process (1889), The Wright Brothers’ Airplane (1903), ENIAC—The First Digital Computer (1946), The Concorde (1976), Low-Flow Toilet (1992).

The launch of the STS-1, the first in a series of shuttle vehicles planned for the Space Transportation System, uses reusable launch and return components.