Why did the space shuttle use SRBs?

The Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) operated in parallel with the Space Shuttle Main Engines for the first two minutes of flight to provide the additional thrust needed for the Orbiter to escape the gravitational pull of the Earth.

Can the space shuttle fly like an airplane?

The Space Shuttle flies as a glider during reentry and landing. During ascent, 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).

What will NASA use instead of shuttles?

What is Orion? Orion is NASA’s new spacecraft, built to take humans farther into space than they’ve ever gone before. It will carry the crew to space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew and provide a safe return to Earth.

How are SRBs ignited?

SRB ignition can occur only when a manual lock pin from each SRB safe and arm device has been removed. The ground crew removes the pin during prelaunch activities. At T minus five minutes, the SRB safe and arm device is rotated to the arm position.

What are SRBs made of?

The propellant mixture in each SRB motor consists of an ammonium perchlorate (oxidizer, 69.6 percent by weight), aluminum (fuel, 16 percent), iron oxide (a catalyst, 0.4 percent), a polymer (a binder that holds the mixture together, 12.04 percent), and an epoxy curing agent (1.96 percent).

How much do a Astronaut get paid?

The pay grades for civilian astronauts are GS-11 through GS-14, based on academic achievements and experience. Currently, a GS-11 astronaut starts at $64,724 per year; a GS-14 astronaut can earn up to $141,715 in annual salary [source: NASA].

What is the ultimate fate of Hubble?

Fortunately, there should be plenty of time to consider Hubble’s ultimate fate. NASA’s calculations indicate that if the telescope’s batteries failed, the electronics would become irretrievably damaged in just two days – but even then, the telescope itself would likely remain in orbit until around 2021.

Is Orion a space shuttle?

Orion is Nasa’s new spaceship for humans, designed to visit destinations such as the Moon and Mars. Here’s our guide to America’s replacement for the space shuttle. When astronauts return to the Moon this decade – under a Nasa plan called Artemis – they’ll travel there in Orion.

Why do rockets take off in a curve?

The fuel that the rocket consequently saves can be used to accelerate it horizontally, in order to attain a high speed, and more easily enter the orbit. In a nutshell, a rocket must curve its trajectory post-launch, if it wants to enter the Earth’s orbit.