How many hours is the re-entry descent of a space shuttle?

According to NASA re-entry descent of a space shuttle after mission control gives the ‘Go’ for deorbit burn, is approximately one hour.

When did the space shuttle break up upon re-entry?

Feb. 1, 2003
(Inside Science) — On Feb. 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon reentry, killing all seven astronauts on board. During liftoff, a piece of foam broke off from a tank and struck the orbiter’s left wing.

Did a space shuttle break up on reentry?

It has now been 18 years since the loss of Space Shuttle Columbia. The orbiter vehicle broke upon re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere as it was completing its 28th mission.

Can space shuttles be reused?

All of the components are reused except for the external fuel tank, which burns up in the atmosphere after each launch. The longest the Shuttle has stayed in orbit on any single mission is 17.5 days on mission STS-80 in November 1996.

When was the Space Shuttle Columbia supposed to launch?

Planned to begin on January 11, 2001, the mission was delayed 18 times and eventually launched on January 16, 2003, following STS-113. The Columbia Accident Investigation Board determined that this delay had nothing to do with the catastrophic failure.

What are the requirements for re-entry of a Space Shuttle?

The third mission requirement is accuracy. Beginning its descent from more than 6440 km (4000 mi.) away, the Space Shuttle must land on a runway only 91 m (300 ft.) wide. The re-entry vehicle (RV) of an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) has even tighter accuracy requirements.

When did the last Space Shuttle come back to Earth?

Its return to Earth on July 21st marked the end of the Space Shuttle Program. Shuttle Endeavour launched on May 16 for the last time, on STS-134. It delivered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) as well as other supplies to the International Space Station. Shuttle Discovery rocketed into space on February 24 for the last time, on STS-133.

What was the name of the first Space Shuttle mission?

STS-1 marked the first orbital flight of the Space Shuttle Program. Shuttle Columbia orbited the Earth 37 times in 54.5 hours, and successfully landed at Edwards Air Force Base. Learn More NASA STS-1 Mission Summary NASA – The First Shuttle Mission and Launch of Columbia February 3, 1984 – STS-41-B: First Untethered Spacewalk