For thirty years, the Space Shuttle was the world’s first reusable spacecraft. Unlike earlier rockets that were used only once, the shuttle could fly into space, return to Earth, and fly again. It looked like a mix between a rocket and an airplane. When it launched, it roared off the launchpad with the help of two giant boosters. But once it reached the vacuum of space, it became a quiet, floating laboratory orbiting high above our planet.
Living on the shuttle was a unique experience. Because there is very little gravity in orbit, everything floats. This is called microgravity. Astronauts had to strap themselves into sleeping bags so they wouldn’t drift into walls while they slept. Even eating was an adventure! Foods like nuts or dried fruit had to be handled carefully, or they would float all over the cabin. The shuttle's large windows provided a breathtaking view of Earth, showing the bright blue oceans and white clouds passing by every ninety minutes.
The shuttle was built to carry heavy items into space. It had a massive area called the cargo bay, which was like a giant truck bed in the sky. Inside, the shuttle carried satellites, parts for the International Space Station, and even the Hubble Space Telescope. A long robotic arm, nicknamed the Canadarm, helped astronauts move these heavy objects. Sometimes, astronauts would put on their bulky spacesuits and step outside for a "spacewalk" to make repairs to the shuttle or to equipment floating nearby.
When the mission was over, the shuttle didn't just fall back to Earth. It had to slow down and hit the atmosphere at just the right angle. The bottom of the shuttle was covered in special ceramic tiles to protect it from the intense heat caused by friction during re-entry. Once it reached the lower atmosphere, it stopped acting like a rocket and started acting like a glider. Without any engines running, the pilot would steer the shuttle onto a long runway, safely bringing the crew back home.
