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Discovery was the third Space Shuttle Orbiter vehicle to fly in space. It entered service in 1984 and retired from spaceflight as the oldest and most accomplished orbiter, the champion of the shuttle fleet.
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This object is on display in the James S. McDonnell Space Hangar at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA.
Space Shuttle Discovery soars away from Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center, beginning its maiden voyage and a storied spaceflight career that spanned more than 26 years. The on-time liftoff occurred at 8:42 am EDT on Aug. 30, 1984.
Look Closely:
Look Closely:
What do you notice about Discovery's liftoff?
How is that similar or different from the aircraft you have looked at today?
Discovery flew on 39 Earth-orbital missions, spent a total of 365 days in space, and traveled almost 240 million kilometers (150 million miles)--more than any of the other orbiters. It shuttled 184 men and women into space and back, many of whom flew more than once, for a record-setting total crew count of 251.
What is Discovery’s most famous mission?
What is Discovery’s most famous mission?
In 1990, Discovery deployed the Hubble Space Telescope. At launch, the telescope weighed in at about 24,000 pounds. (It makes sense why the cargo bay, where the telescope was stored, is so big.)
Look Closely:
Look Closely:
What is happening in this image?
The Space Shuttle Discovery hitched a ride on NASA's modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft for the flight from the Dryden Flight Research Center in California, to Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on August 19, 2005.
How did the space shuttle orbiters, like Discovery, travel in our atmosphere?
How did the space shuttle orbiters, like Discovery, travel in our atmosphere?
To launch into Low Earth Orbit, the Space Shuttle Orbiters used rockets! Thrust is provided by the three Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME's) at the base of the orbiter and the two Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB's) that are joined to the orange External Fuel Tank (ET). When returning to Earth, there are no propellants available to the SSME's, though the engines are still present, the shuttle returns as an unpowered glider.
Since Discovery, and other shuttle orbiters, were not designed to fly in our atmosphere. When they didn't land in Florida, they had to be transported, hitching a ride on the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), a modified Boeing 747.
What's happening?
What's happening?
Why would Discovery use a parachute upon landing?
What do you know about the Four Forces of Flight?
And the #1 question about space shuttles: How do you go to the bathroom in space?
And the #1 question about space shuttles: How do you go to the bathroom in space?
For more on the Space Shuttle Orbiter, Discovery, look at our page here or check out NASA's page on the Space Shuttle system.
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