The final Space Shuttle has landed…

Now what??

The Space ShuttleSince 1981, NASA space shuttles have been rocketing from the

Florida coast into Earth orbit.

The five orbiters — Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour — have flown more than 130 times,

carrying over 350 people into space and travelling more than half a billion miles, more than enough to reach

Jupiter.

Designed to return to Earth and land like a giant glider, the shuttle was the world's first reusable space vehicle.

More than all of that, though, the shuttle program expanded the limits of human achievement and broadened our

understanding of our world.

Columbia Shuttle

Space Shuttle Challenger

http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/the_shuttle/

1. Click on the link above to access information about the Space Shuttle. Read the article.

1. Click on the Launch tab to watch a short video.

3. Click on the Orbiter Facts tab, and read the information.

4. If you have more time, access the other tabs on the page.

How did they come up with the statement that it would

take approximately 13.4 African Elephants to equal

the weight of the Space Shuttle Columbia?

• ,,

But the shuttles have taken their last flights, and they have all been moved

to various places.

Maybe you saw them flying by?

Now What?

On May 31, 2012, SpaceX successfully completed the historic mission that made

Dragon the first commercial spacecraft to visit the International Space Station.

Previously, only four governments — the United States, Russia, Japan and the European Space

Agency — had achieved this challenging technical feat.

Dragon is a free-flying, reusable spacecraft developed by SpaceX under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program.

Initiated by SpaceX in 2005, the Dragon spacecraft is made up of a pressurized capsule and

unpressurized trunk used for transport of pressurized cargo, unpressurized cargo, and/or

crew members.

SpaceX DragonView from the International Space Station of the SpaceX Dragon

Spacecraft, as the station’s robotic arm moves Dragon into place for attachment to the station.

May 25, 2012. Photo: NASA

Privatizing Space Discussion

• What does privatization mean?

• Why would they do it?

• What will this change?

Dragon Highlights• Fully autonomous rendezvous and docking with

manual override capability in crewed configuration • 6,000 kg (13,228 lbs) payload up-mass; 3,000 kg (6,614

lbs) payload down-mass • Payload Volume: 10 m3 (350 ft3) pressurized, 14 m3

(490 ft3) unpressurized • Dragon is 7.2 meters (23.6 feet) tall, including the

trunk, and 3.66 meters (12 feet) in diameter. • With the solar panels fully extended, the vehicle

measures 16.5 meters (54 feet) wide.• Supports up to 7 passengers in crew configuration

Hmmm?

• About how many Dragons long is a space shuttle?

• Illustrate your answer and show all work that helped you come up with your drawing.