Space Shuttle
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Reilly, STS-104 mission spe- FDSDELOLW\WRUHSDLURUVHUYLFHVSDFHFUDIWLQRUELWRU WKDWKDVDQDPHLQDGGLWLRQWRDSDUWQXPEHU7KHILUVW GLDPHWHUDQGHDFKZHLJKVPLOOLRQSRXQGV cialist, looks over supplies in the Quest Airlock RQWKHSD\ORDGFDSDELOLWLHVRI WKH6SDFH6KXWWOH$GXH UHWXUQWKHPWR(DUWKIRUDPRUHH[WHQVLYHRYHUKDXO RUELWHUEXLOWZDVWKH(QWHUSULVHZKLFKZDVGHVLJQHG PLOOLRQNLORJUDPV 7KHLUVROLGSURSHOODQWFRQVLVWVRID aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Reilly HDVWODXQFKIURPWKH.HQQHG\6SDFH&HQWHULQ)ORULGD DQGDQRWKHUODXQFK7KH/RQJ'XUDWLRQ([SRVXUH)D IRUIOLJKWWHVWVLQWKHDWPRVSKHUHUDWKHUWKDQRSHUD PL[WXUHRI DOXPLQXPSRZGHUDVWKHIXHODOXPLQXP was one of two assigned spacewalkers on the STS- XVHVWKH(DUWK·VURWDWLRQDVDODXQFKDVVLVWVLQFHWKH FLOLW\ /'() DIUHHIO\LQJSD\ORDGUHPDLQHGLQRUELW WLRQVLQVSDFH,WLVQRZDWWKH6PLWKVRQLDQ0XVHXPDW SHUFKORUDWHDVWKHR[LGL]HUDQGLURQR[LGHDVDFDWD 104 mission. The third extravehicular activity uti- JURXQGLVWXUQLQJWRWKHHDVWDWWKDWSRLQWDWDVSHHGRI lized the new airlock, marking its first usage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·VWKUHHPDLQ SD\ORDGED\ RI DVVHPEOHGFRPSRQHQWV UHERRVWHGWRLWVSURSHURUELWWREHJLQRSHUDWLRQ HQJLQHVILULQJDWSHUFHQWWRWDOWKUXVWRI WKH6SDFH 0LVVLRQRSHUDWLRQVGLVSOD\VDQGFRQWUROVDUHRQWKH 7KH6ROLG5RFNHW%RRVWHUSURSHOODQWVHJPHQWVDUH 7KH+XEEOH6SDFH7HOHVFRSHZDVVXFFHVVIXOO\VHU Parts of the Space Shuttle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·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nique Vehicle ,WLVVLPLODUWRWKHVL]HDQGJHQHUDOVKDSHRI D'& WKHHQGRIWKHPLVVLRQ SLORWPLVVLRQVSHFLDOLVWVDQGRFFDVLRQDOO\SD\ORDGVSH 6KXWWOHDQGWDNHVWKHPWRWKHSDG7KH6KXWWOHUHPDLQV 7KHDELOLW\RI WKH6KXWWOHWRODQGRQDUXQZD\XQ FRPPHUFLDOMHWDLUSODQH2UELWHUVYDU\VOLJKWO\IURPYH Crew Accommodations OLNHWKHH[SHQVLYHSDUDFKXWHGHVFHQWDQGUHFRYHU\DW KLFOHWRYHKLFOH Orbiter Insulation VHDWHFKQLTXHVXVHGLQWKH0HUFXU\*HPLQLDQG$SROOR 7KHRUELWHUFDUULHVLWVFDUJRLQDFDYHUQRXVSD\ORDG 1RUPDOFUHZVL]HIRUD6KXWWOHIOLJKWLVILYHWRVHYHQ A special silica-based insulation in the form of tiles and blankets serves as the primary heat shield for the KXPDQVSDFHIOLJKWSURJUDPVVDYHVERWKWLPHDQG ED\IHHW PHWHUV ORQJDQGIHHW PHWHUV SHRSOH7KHFUHZRFFXSLHVDWZROHYHOFDELQDWWKHIRU orbiter. This material sheds heat so readily that one side can be held in bare hands while the opposite side is PRQH\,QDGGLWLRQDJDLQXQOLNHSULRUPDQQHGVSDFH ZLGH7KHED\LVIOH[LEOHHQRXJKWRSURYLGHDFFRPPR ZDUGHQGRI WKHRUELWHU7KH\RSHUDWHWKHYHKLFOHIURP red-hot. These lightweight tiles are made to survive temperatures of up to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,260 FUDIWWKHPRVWH[SHQVLYH6KXWWOHFRPSRQHQWVFDQEH GDWLRQVIRUIXOO\HTXLSSHGVFLHQWLILFODERUDWRULHVVXFK WKHXSSHUOHYHOWKHIOLJKWGHFNZLWKWKHIOLJKWFRQWUROV degrees Celsius). Previous crewed spacecraft used heat shields that ablated – flaked away in small pieces to UHIXUELVKHGDQGUHDGLHGIRUDQRWKHUODXQFK DV63$&(+$%'HSHQGLQJRQWKHUHTXLUHPHQWVRI WKH IRUWKHPLVVLRQFRPPDQGHUDQGSLORWORFDWHGLQWKH carry off heat from the surface – during the fiery entry into Earth’s atmosphere. In 1996 a fourth tile material 7KHFRPSOH[DQGH[SHQVLYHRUELWHUZDVGHVLJQHG SDUWLFXODUPLVVLRQD6SDFH6KXWWOHFDQFDUU\DERXW IURQW was introduced, using small quantities of alumina fiber. Fibrous Insulation Blankets, made of silica felt sand- WRODVWDPLQLPXPRIIOLJKWVDQGWKH6ROLG5RFNHW SRXQGV NLORJUDPV LQWRRUELW $VWDWLRQDWWKHUHDURYHUORRNLQJWKHSD\ORDGED\ wiched between silica fabric and S-Glass fabric, also replaced a majority of the white tiles on the upper %RRVWHUFDVLQJVHQJLQHQR]]OHVDQGSDUDFKXWHVZHUH $QRUELWHULVHTXLSSHGIRUIOLJKWZLWKWKUHHPDLQ WKURXJKWZRZLQGRZVFRQWDLQVWKHFRQWUROVDPLVVLRQ surface. Currently, each orbiter has about 24,300 tiles and 2,300 flexible insulation blankets. RQWKHSODWIRUPXQWLOOLIWRII ZKLFKIROORZHGDEDOOLVWLFWUDMHFWRU\XSRQUHHQWU\WKH ED\WKURXJKRXWWKHPLVVLRQ¬$IWHUODQGLQJWKHODERUD National Aeronautics and 7KHRUELWHU·VPDLQHQJLQHVLJQLWHILUVWDQGEXLOGWR RUELWHUKDVDFURVVUDQJHFDSDELOLW\ FDQPRYHWRWKH WRU\LVUHPRYHGDQGSUHSDUDWLRQVEHJLQWRFRQILJXUHLW Space Administration IXOOSRZHUEHIRUHWKHKXJHVROLGURFNHWVLJQLWHDQGOLIWRII ULJKWRUOHIWRIWKHVWUDLJKWOLQHRI LWVHQWU\SDWK RI IRULWVQH[WIOLJKW RFFXUV7KHVROLGURFNHWVEXUQRXWDIWHUDERXWWZRPLQ DERXWPLOHV NLORPHWHUV XWHVDUHVHSDUDWHGIURPWKHWDQNDQGSDUDFKXWHLQWR 7KHODQGLQJVSHHGLVIURPDERXWWRPLOHV International Space Station WKHRFHDQDERXWPLOHV NLORPHWHUV