2007-11-11 00:57:19 · 7 answers · asked by Hadiza H 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The shuttle or Space Transport System (STS) is designed as an orbital platform. The shuttle's main engines rely on the external fuel tank to operate, but this fuel tank is jettisoned upon reaching low earth orbit. Therefore, there is no fuel on board the shuttle for a trip to the moon. The main engines are not required for re-entry.
Orbital maneuvers are executed with manuvering jets that require only a small amount of fuel (hydrazine) to operate. Not nearly enough for anything more.
For trips to the moon, a vehicle's engines are required to first escape earth orbit, align and accelerate on a lunar trajectory, and then used to brake or slow down the spacecraft in order to be captured by the moon's gravity to allow entry into lunar orbit. When the spacecraft is ready to leave lunar orbit, the engines are again required to break lunar orbit, align and accelerate on an earth bound trajectory and once again to brake for earth orbital insertion. All this requires either tremendous amounts of fuel for a craft the size of the shuttle or a much smaller spacecraft with reduced fuel requirements.
2007-11-11 01:45:07 · answer #1 · answered by Scott B 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The Space Shuttle does not go to the Moon. No manned craft have been to the Moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. The Shuttle was designed to operate in Earth orbit. The latest mission almost 2 weeks long involved the Shuttle going around the Earth over and over and it traveled 6 million miles the equivalent of more than 12 trips to the Moon and back. When the Apollo missions went to the Moon it took them about three days to get there.
2007-11-11 03:09:49 · answer #2 · answered by ericbryce2 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Currently the space shuttle is being used to travel to the ISS which is floating at mere 360 miles from earth. The moon is at a distance of 250,000 miles from earth. The space shuttle travels in orbit at a speed of 18,000 miles an hour it should take some 16 hours to get there. BUT for some reason it is not equipped to travel this far into space and back, contrary to the other 40 year old pre microprocessor capsules that took the astronauts there and back. NASA plans a moon trip for 2018, some fifty years after the first moon landing.
2007-11-11 01:32:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
No one's ever tried it due to the fact the shuttle can't carry enough fuel to get there and back, as it was mainly design for Earth orbit + launching / repairing Satelites.
But I think when they went to the Moon during the Apollo missions, it took about 3-5days, though I wasn't around then and only seen it in TV documentaries.
2007-11-11 06:24:45 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The space shuttle is not equipped for Lunar travel.
2007-11-11 01:00:10 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
the space shuttle cannot travel to the moon -
too much weight
must be able to achieve 'escape velocity'
review the Apollo program on NASA's website
2007-11-11 01:00:29 · answer #6 · answered by tom4bucs 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I think it took 48hrs from the earth to the moon the modern one.
2015-06-10 22:39:37 · answer #7 · answered by Lekoiya 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋