A series of suborbital tests carried out by NASA in the 1960s to evaluate various types of heat ablative materials (ablation) and atmospheric reentry technology, particularly in preparation for the Apollo program. The nosecones of the Scout rockets used in these tests were coated in heat-shield ablators and then caused to reenter the atmosphere at around 28,000 km/h - the speed of reentry after a lunar excursion.
Chat with our AI personalities
During reentry, the space shuttle typically reaches speeds of around 17,500 miles per hour (28,000 km/h). This high speed is necessary to overcome Earth's gravity and safely return the shuttle to the surface.
The space shuttle that exploded upon reentry into Earth's atmosphere in 2003 was the Space Shuttle Columbia. The disaster resulted in the loss of all seven crew members on board.
The space shuttle that burned up upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere was the Space Shuttle Columbia. The tragedy occurred on February 1, 2003, resulting in the loss of all seven crew members on board.
The Columbia Space Shuttle spent a total of 15 days, 16 hours, and 34 minutes on its final mission before tragically disintegrating upon reentry on February 1, 2003.
The external fuel tank of the space shuttle cannot be reused. It is a one-time use component that is jettisoned and burns up in the atmosphere upon reentry.
The Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon reentry to Earth on February 1, 2003, tragically resulting in the loss of all seven crew members. The incident was caused by damage to the shuttle's thermal protection system, sustained during launch, which allowed superheated air to penetrate the shuttle's wing during reentry.