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The Kennedy Space Center is busy once again. The Florida spaceport had been quiet for about three years. Before then it had been the launch site for the moon flights and manned missions. Now it is getting ready for a new chapter of space history.
The new age of space flight will start with the first flight of NASA’s Space Shuttle. The shuttle has a system that can be reused. This will greatly reduce costs. The shuttle will also make it easier for man to reach outer space. It will give NASA a new tool to help man explore space.
The new shuttle will be rocket-launched like all spacecraft. But there is now a difference. Its two boosters can be recovered and reused. Also, the manned part of the shuttle acts like a piloted craft in space. It will return to earth, Landing like an airplane.
We can see that space travel will no longer need highly trained astronauts. Along with its crew of three, the shuttle will hold up to four scientists. All of them can work without having to wear any spacial spacesuits. They can test and study the heavens from space. They will be able to send back to earth reports about weather and other conditions the can be seen from the craft. Remember, they will have a bird’s eye view of earth.
The shuttle will allow the in space repair of other spacecraft. It will also be able to bring space craft back to earth for work that cannot be done in space.
Some space jobs were once impossible or too expensive. But now with the help of the shuttle they can be done. The shuttle opens the door to some new ideas. Space cities can now be built. The building blocks for such cities will be delivered by the shuttle. Many power space stations will be built, too. These stations will be able to turn the sun’s energy into electricity that can be used back on Earth.
Economy is the key to the shuttle. Since it can be reused, costly one shot launchings can be a thing of the past. Satellites already in space can be kept there longer. Their lifespans will be longer because they can now be easily repaired. The shuttle will not need the expensive sea recovery that was used during past space flights. The savings to the space program could well be over a billion dollars a year!
