How much did the Atlantis space shuttle weigh?

151,315 pounds
Weighing in at 151,315 pounds when it rolled out of the assembly plant in Palmdale, Calif., Atlantis was nearly 3.5 tons lighter than Columbia.

Which space shuttle was the lightest?

Atlantis was completed in about half the time it took to build Space Shuttle Columbia. When it rolled out of the Palmdale assembly plant, weighing 151,315 lb (68,635 kg), Atlantis was nearly 3.5 short tons (3.2 t) lighter than Columbia.

Why were space shuttles better than older spaceships?

NASA’s space shuttle was the world’s first reusable spacecraft. It launched like a rocket and returned to Earth like a glider, landing like an airplane on a long concrete runway. It was designed to carry large payloads — such as satellites — into orbit and bring them back, if necessary, for repairs.

Why was the space shuttle inefficient?

Criticism of the Space Shuttle program stemmed from claims that NASA’s Shuttle program failed to achieve its promised cost and utility goals, as well as design, cost, management, and safety issues. Fundamentally, it failed in the goal of reducing the cost of space access.

How much did the space shuttle weight that Toyota pulled?

And at one point, because of weight restrictions, a 4X4 Toyota Tundra pulled the 170,000-pound shuttle across the Manchester Boulevard Bridge. Not too shabby for a 381-hp, 5.7-liter V-8, given that the entire shuttle rig, including custom-made dolly, weighed just north of 300,000 pounds.

How long was Atlantis in space?

Among the astronauts on board was Chris Hadfield, the first and only Canadian to make it to the Mir space station. On STS-79, Atlantis brought home Shannon Lucid after she spent 188 days in space, a record for an American astronaut.

Where is shuttle Atlantis now?

the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Atlantis. Space Shuttle Atlantis is on display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex at Cape Canaveral in Florida.

Was the space shuttle a failure?

However, the shuttle failed spectacularly in its main goal: to make space travel safe and affordable. By the end of the program, it cost around 2 billion dollars to launch seven people along with a meagre 20 tons of payload, all the while risking a 1-in-70 chance of a failure causing the deaths of everyone on board.

Why did NASA abandon the space shuttle?

“The bottom line answer is that it was too expensive. Way too expensive,” former NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory system engineer Mark Adler wrote in 2015. “The shuttle never met its promise for low-cost access to space by virtue of the system’s reusability.”

How complicated was the space shuttle?

The US space shuttle is the most complex and costly flying machine ever built. The shuttle could fly at speeds of 17,500 miles (28,160 kilometers) per hour and was designed to maneuver in low Earth orbit at 100 to 400 miles (160-640 kilometers) high. …

What are the specifications of the Space Shuttle Atlantis?

Specifications. When it rolled out of the Palmdale assembly plant, weighing 151,315 lb (68,635 kg), Atlantis was nearly 3.5 short tons (3.2 t) lighter than Columbia. Atlantis is the lightest shuttle of the remaining fleet, weighing 20,685 pounds less than the Space Shuttle Endeavour (with the three main engines).

How much did Atlantis weigh when it was built?

Weighing in at 151,315 pounds when it rolled out of the assembly plant in Palmdale, Calif., Atlantis was nearly 3.5 tons lighter than Columbia. The new orbiter arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 9, 1985, and over the next seven months was prepared for her maiden voyage.

How much does a Space Shuttle weigh?

In the day-to-day world of Shuttle operations and processing, Space Shuttle orbiters go by a more prosaic designation. Atlantis is commonly refered to as OV-104, for Orbiter Vehicle-104. Empty Weight was 151,315 lbs at rollout and 171,000 lbs with main engines installed. Upgrades and Features

What was the last Space Shuttle to launch?

Image above: Space shuttle Atlantis launches July 8, 2011 on the STS-135 mission, the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program. Image credit: NASA