Fun Facts about the Space Shuttle Orbiter

NASA Fun Facts About the Space Shuttle Orbiter Length of Orbiter Unless you have flown aboard the Space Shuttle or have seen it in person, it can be difficult to mentally visualize the size of the vehicle. Here, we measure the Orbiter against a familiar object, a school bus. Color Key 122 ft Enterprise Vehicle Designation: OV-101 Rollout September 17, 1076 Test Vehicle, No Flights 40 ft. Columbia Vehicle Designation: OV-102 Rollout March 8, 1979 20 Flights Weight of Orbiter Challenger Vehicle Designation: OV-000 Rolout June 30, 1982 10 Flights The heaviest Orbiter, Columbia, weighed in at 178,000 pounds. The heaviest African Elephant weighs 13,200 pounds. It would take approximately 13.4 African Elephants to equal the weight of Space Shuttle Columbia. Discovery Vehicle Designation: OV-103 Rolout October 16, 1983 38 Flights Atlantis Vehicle Designation: OV-104 Rollout March 6, 1005 32 Flights Endeavour Vehicle Designation: OV-105 Rollout April 25, 1991 24 Flights Crew Transported Into Space Per Orbiter Crew members sometimes fly more than once on more than one Orbiter. This graphic counts each person transported into space regardless of whether or not they have flown before. Columbia: 178,000 Ibs African Elephant: 13,200 lbs = 5 Astronauts 145 60 222 191 159 Miles Flown Per Orbiter (in millions) Aside from Challenger, the total miles flown of each orbiter is well over the distance between Earth and Mars. The combined mileage for all five orbiters, 513.7 million miles, is more than enough to reach Jupiter. 122.7 115.5 136.7 111.3 27.5 Mars 48.6 Mercury Earth Venus 57.1 25.8 Sun 93 Jupiter 390.7 Diagram is not to scale or in correct planetary order. Distances are measured from the closest point to Earth. NASA Fun Facts About the Space Shuttle Orbiter Length of Orbiter Unless you have flown aboard the Space Shuttle or have seen it in person, it can be difficult to mentally visualize the size of the vehicle. Here, we measure the Orbiter against a familiar object, a school bus. Color Key 122 ft Enterprise Vehicle Designation: OV-101 Rollout September 17, 1076 Test Vehicle, No Flights 40 ft. Columbia Vehicle Designation: OV-102 Rollout March 8, 1979 20 Flights Weight of Orbiter Challenger Vehicle Designation: OV-000 Rolout June 30, 1982 10 Flights The heaviest Orbiter, Columbia, weighed in at 178,000 pounds. The heaviest African Elephant weighs 13,200 pounds. It would take approximately 13.4 African Elephants to equal the weight of Space Shuttle Columbia. Discovery Vehicle Designation: OV-103 Rolout October 16, 1983 38 Flights Atlantis Vehicle Designation: OV-104 Rollout March 6, 1005 32 Flights Endeavour Vehicle Designation: OV-105 Rollout April 25, 1991 24 Flights Crew Transported Into Space Per Orbiter Crew members sometimes fly more than once on more than one Orbiter. This graphic counts each person transported into space regardless of whether or not they have flown before. Columbia: 178,000 Ibs African Elephant: 13,200 lbs = 5 Astronauts 145 60 222 191 159 Miles Flown Per Orbiter (in millions) Aside from Challenger, the total miles flown of each orbiter is well over the distance between Earth and Mars. The combined mileage for all five orbiters, 513.7 million miles, is more than enough to reach Jupiter. 122.7 115.5 136.7 111.3 27.5 Mars 48.6 Mercury Earth Venus 57.1 25.8 Sun 93 Jupiter 390.7 Diagram is not to scale or in correct planetary order. Distances are measured from the closest point to Earth. NASA Fun Facts About the Space Shuttle Orbiter Length of Orbiter Unless you have flown aboard the Space Shuttle or have seen it in person, it can be difficult to mentally visualize the size of the vehicle. Here, we measure the Orbiter against a familiar object, a school bus. Color Key 122 ft Enterprise Vehicle Designation: OV-101 Rollout September 17, 1076 Test Vehicle, No Flights 40 ft. Columbia Vehicle Designation: OV-102 Rollout March 8, 1979 20 Flights Weight of Orbiter Challenger Vehicle Designation: OV-000 Rolout June 30, 1982 10 Flights The heaviest Orbiter, Columbia, weighed in at 178,000 pounds. The heaviest African Elephant weighs 13,200 pounds. It would take approximately 13.4 African Elephants to equal the weight of Space Shuttle Columbia. Discovery Vehicle Designation: OV-103 Rolout October 16, 1983 38 Flights Atlantis Vehicle Designation: OV-104 Rollout March 6, 1005 32 Flights Endeavour Vehicle Designation: OV-105 Rollout April 25, 1991 24 Flights Crew Transported Into Space Per Orbiter Crew members sometimes fly more than once on more than one Orbiter. This graphic counts each person transported into space regardless of whether or not they have flown before. Columbia: 178,000 Ibs African Elephant: 13,200 lbs = 5 Astronauts 145 60 222 191 159 Miles Flown Per Orbiter (in millions) Aside from Challenger, the total miles flown of each orbiter is well over the distance between Earth and Mars. The combined mileage for all five orbiters, 513.7 million miles, is more than enough to reach Jupiter. 122.7 115.5 136.7 111.3 27.5 Mars 48.6 Mercury Earth Venus 57.1 25.8 Sun 93 Jupiter 390.7 Diagram is not to scale or in correct planetary order. Distances are measured from the closest point to Earth. NASA Fun Facts About the Space Shuttle Orbiter Length of Orbiter Unless you have flown aboard the Space Shuttle or have seen it in person, it can be difficult to mentally visualize the size of the vehicle. Here, we measure the Orbiter against a familiar object, a school bus. Color Key 122 ft Enterprise Vehicle Designation: OV-101 Rollout September 17, 1076 Test Vehicle, No Flights 40 ft. Columbia Vehicle Designation: OV-102 Rollout March 8, 1979 20 Flights Weight of Orbiter Challenger Vehicle Designation: OV-000 Rolout June 30, 1982 10 Flights The heaviest Orbiter, Columbia, weighed in at 178,000 pounds. The heaviest African Elephant weighs 13,200 pounds. It would take approximately 13.4 African Elephants to equal the weight of Space Shuttle Columbia. Discovery Vehicle Designation: OV-103 Rolout October 16, 1983 38 Flights Atlantis Vehicle Designation: OV-104 Rollout March 6, 1005 32 Flights Endeavour Vehicle Designation: OV-105 Rollout April 25, 1991 24 Flights Crew Transported Into Space Per Orbiter Crew members sometimes fly more than once on more than one Orbiter. This graphic counts each person transported into space regardless of whether or not they have flown before. Columbia: 178,000 Ibs African Elephant: 13,200 lbs = 5 Astronauts 145 60 222 191 159 Miles Flown Per Orbiter (in millions) Aside from Challenger, the total miles flown of each orbiter is well over the distance between Earth and Mars. The combined mileage for all five orbiters, 513.7 million miles, is more than enough to reach Jupiter. 122.7 115.5 136.7 111.3 27.5 Mars 48.6 Mercury Earth Venus 57.1 25.8 Sun 93 Jupiter 390.7 Diagram is not to scale or in correct planetary order. Distances are measured from the closest point to Earth. NASA Fun Facts About the Space Shuttle Orbiter Length of Orbiter Unless you have flown aboard the Space Shuttle or have seen it in person, it can be difficult to mentally visualize the size of the vehicle. Here, we measure the Orbiter against a familiar object, a school bus. Color Key 122 ft Enterprise Vehicle Designation: OV-101 Rollout September 17, 1076 Test Vehicle, No Flights 40 ft. Columbia Vehicle Designation: OV-102 Rollout March 8, 1979 20 Flights Weight of Orbiter Challenger Vehicle Designation: OV-000 Rolout June 30, 1982 10 Flights The heaviest Orbiter, Columbia, weighed in at 178,000 pounds. The heaviest African Elephant weighs 13,200 pounds. It would take approximately 13.4 African Elephants to equal the weight of Space Shuttle Columbia. Discovery Vehicle Designation: OV-103 Rolout October 16, 1983 38 Flights Atlantis Vehicle Designation: OV-104 Rollout March 6, 1005 32 Flights Endeavour Vehicle Designation: OV-105 Rollout April 25, 1991 24 Flights Crew Transported Into Space Per Orbiter Crew members sometimes fly more than once on more than one Orbiter. This graphic counts each person transported into space regardless of whether or not they have flown before. Columbia: 178,000 Ibs African Elephant: 13,200 lbs = 5 Astronauts 145 60 222 191 159 Miles Flown Per Orbiter (in millions) Aside from Challenger, the total miles flown of each orbiter is well over the distance between Earth and Mars. The combined mileage for all five orbiters, 513.7 million miles, is more than enough to reach Jupiter. 122.7 115.5 136.7 111.3 27.5 Mars 48.6 Mercury Earth Venus 57.1 25.8 Sun 93 Jupiter 390.7 Diagram is not to scale or in correct planetary order. Distances are measured from the closest point to Earth.