Space shuttle orbiter1/6/2024 During launch up to four astronauts may sit on the upper flight deck and up to four more on the middle crew quarters deck. The forward section of the Orbiter contains the flight deck and crew quarters for the astronauts. The RMS is used to extract payloads from the cargo bay and deploy them outside of the Orbiter. A highly articulated mechanical arm called the Remote Manipulator System (RMS), can be operated by Shuttle astronauts while inside the Orbiter cabin. An array of standard payload platforms, including the European Spacelab or commercial Spacehab modules, can be carried into space and returned to the Earth at the completion of a mission. The Space Shuttle Orbiter is designed to deploy and/or retrieve payloads utilising the 18.3 x 4.57 m cargo bay, permiting in flight servicing or Earth return. Electrical power for Orbiter systems is provided by fuel cells which produce, as a byproduct, water for drinking. The Orbiter is propelled by 49 rocket engines employed in various combinations for liftoff, attitude control in space, and for initiating reentry. It is constructed primarily out of aluminum and covered with reusable surface insulation. The Space Shuttle Orbiter is a wide-body, delta-winged airplane and space vehicle. ![]() OV-099: (1983) Challenger, destroyed in explosion Jan-1986. OV-102: (1981) Columbia, first operational shuttle, destroyed Feb-2003. OV-101: Enterprise, test vehicle (now owned by Smithsonian Institution). ![]() Spacecraft - Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Orbiter
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