I keep hearing that the US government is retiring its space shuttle fleet in 2010. But I've also heard that President Bush wanted to return people to the moon by 2020, how is that going to happen without space shuttles, and why is the fleet being grounded in the first place?
2007-10-29 01:22:33 · 5 answers · asked by filmnoirgirl16 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
These are all good answers. It totally did not occur to me that the space shuttles don't go to the moon.
2007-10-29 11:38:37 · update #1
The shuttle fleet is being retired for the simple reason that it is old. Going to the Moon cannot be achieved with the shuttles, which are designed for low Earth orbit only, so even if the shuttle's weren't being retired a new spacecraft would need to be designed. Project Constellation is the new lunar project.
2007-10-29 01:26:57 · answer #1 · answered by Jason T 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The space shuttle (orbiter) does not have the capability to go to the moon. It is designed to orbit the Earth. There is no runway on the moon to land using the orbiter!
When NASA sent men to the moon, it was accomplished by a rocket called the Saturn V (saturn five). It was a multistage rocket, in fact it was the most powerful thing ever made by humans, the space shuttle looks pale in comparison.
Here is a pic:
http://exploration.grc.nasa.gov/education/rocket/gallery/saturn/SaturnV.jpg
2007-10-29 08:30:36 · answer #2 · answered by arinc_429 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Unlike the old Saturn-V rocket, the shuttle cannot go to the Moon. The money saved by ending the shuttle program will be used to build a new rocket that CAN go to the Moon.
2007-10-29 09:41:42 · answer #3 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
First, the space shuttles never were designed to go to the moon, they have never been to the moon, and they will never go to the moon. They were made to go into earth orbit for things like satellite deployment and service, trips to the International Space Station, and things of that nature.
The fleet is being grounded due to their age and the cost it takes to send one up there.
Rockets go to the moon.
2007-10-29 08:30:07 · answer #4 · answered by B. 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hey...
Thank you for posting this question and for the answers.
I like space shuttles and I am sad that they are going to retire. I want to be an astronaut but people here think that it is impossible. I want to go t space with a space shuttle. Not a rocket. Space shuttles look so cool and pretty.
2007-10-29 09:45:58 · answer #5 · answered by sk8ter 3 · 0⤊ 4⤋