Space Shuttle design process

High school (ages 12+)
Transportation

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/space-shuttle-design-process

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the system configuration?Orbiter, External Tank (ET), and two Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs)
2. What is the primary design objective?To provide a reusable, versatile transportation system for routine Earth orbit access
3. What was the main goal of the Space Shuttle program?The Space Shuttle was built to be reusable, so it could carry astronauts and cargo to orbit and return to Earth for another flight, making space travel cheaper and more frequent.
4. How does the Space Shuttle launch and land?It launches vertically like a rocket, using powerful engines and boosters, then glides like a plane and lands horizontally on a runway.

Expendable Launch Vehicle (ELV): A rocket designed for a single use, discarded after launch.
Thermal Protection System (TPS): Materials designed to shield a spacecraft from extreme heat during re-entry.
Hypersonic Flight: Flight at speeds greater than Mach 5, characterized by extreme heat and shockwaves.