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Author
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Topic: 100 things the space shuttle launched
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music_space
Member Posts: 1179
From: Canada
Registered: Jul 2001
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posted 07-16-2010 04:45 PM
   
In Air&Space magazine (Aug. 2010), the article "The Truck," offers a nice roundup of the shuttle's versatility and payloads. The shuttle was the king of multi-tasking. On its final missions, it will continue its work as a people mover and space station supplier, but over its career, the shuttle was a heavy lifter, carrying more than 100 primary payloads to orbit. Its cargo bay -- 60 feet long, 15 feet wide -- was built to satisfy the National Reconnaissance Office, which wanted to make sure its biggest satellites could go. Though the bay could carry up to 54,000 pounds, no payload hit that number (the closest: a 46,500-pound NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite launched in September 1988). Its greatest strength was versatility: Only the shuttle could put something in orbit, then go get it and bring it back. |
jasonelam
Member Posts: 691
From: Monticello, KY USA
Registered: Mar 2007
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posted 07-17-2010 12:20 AM
quote:
Originally posted by music_space:
(the closest: a 46,500-pound NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite launched in September 1988)
That's interesting. I thought the Chandra X-ray Observatory was the largest at over 50,000 lbs. |
Tom
Member Posts: 1597
From: New York
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 07-17-2010 11:54 AM
I saw that "error" too in the article.STS-93's payload is the heaviest (known) payload to fly on the shuttle at slightly over 50,000 lbs. | |
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