Shuttle Reference Manual Space Transportation System

Shuttle Reference Manual Space Transportation... Orbiter Manufacturing... Operational Improvements... Solid Rocket Boosters External Tank Space Shuttle Coordinate... Orbiter Structure Passive Thermal Control... Purge, Vent and Drain... Crew Escape Systems Crew Equipment Shuttle Orbiter Systems Mission Events Summary back to Shuttle Reference

Space Shuttle Program
The overall shuttle program is called the Space Transportation System. NASA oversees the program and coordinates flight requirements for all shuttle missions.

Space Shuttle Requirements
A high-level overview of the shuttle's requirements includes basic specifications and mission profile.

Launch Sites
Kennedy Space Center in Florida is the sole shuttle launch site. However, the Shuttle Reference Manual, last revised in 1988, includes plans for western test range satellite deployment missions from Vandenburg Air Force Base in California.

Background and Status
A high-level chronological overview of program milestones from 1972 to 1987.

Mission Profile
An overview of launch, orbit, and entry profiles is detailed here, including airspeed, altitude, and vehicle attitude requirements.

Aborts
If a problem occurs in the first eight minutes after liftoff, one of five different abort modes may be used.

Orbiter Ground Turnaround
After landing, the orbiter undergoes postflight processing to secure its systems, recover payloads and experiments, and prepare it for its next mission.