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Before launch the shuttle is moved to the launchpad by the Shuttle Crawler-Transporter from the Vehicle Assembly Building. If the last landing has occurred at the Edwards Airforce Base in California, it will have been brought to this building by the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a 747 especially adapted to 'piggyback' it. At other times, the shuttle is pushed or towed by vehicles similar to those that move planes at airports.

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The orbiter vehicle, commonly known as the space shuttle, is actually only one piece of the Shuttle Transportation System (STS), which is stacked with the External Tank (ET) and the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB's) only after it has been prepared for flight in the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF). Once prepared for flight in the OPF, the landing gear remains in the "up" position until the orbiter lands, following each mission.


The flight-ready orbiter is transported aboard a special multi-wheeled transporter from the OPF to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) where large cranes hoist it off the transporter and lift it into place aboard the Crawler-Transporter where it will be mated to the already stacked ET and SRB's to form the STS.


Once the orbiter returns to the Kennedy Space Center landing facility, either having been transported here by the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) or directly landing following a mission, it will be towed to the OPF using an aircraft-tow "tug", where it will be prepared for its next mission, beginning the cycle all over again.

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Q: How do you transport a space shuttle on the ground?
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Spacecraft used to transport astronauts into space?

space shuttle


Why do you need the space shuttle?

Obviously we don't. The idea behind the Shuttle was to be a cost effective, reusable transport.


What does mankind use the space shuttle for?

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By attaching it to the top of a modified Boeing 747.


Can you get into space by space shuttle?

Yes, the space shuttle was a spacecraft used by NASA to send astronauts and cargo into space. The space shuttle program ended in 2011. Today, different spacecraft, such as SpaceX's Crew Dragon and Boeing's Starliner, are used to transport astronauts to space.


What acronym is used to label Space Shuttle missions?

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Why is it advantageous for astronauts to live on a space station rather than a space shuttle?

it is advantageous for astronauts to live on a space station rather a space shuttle because a space station allow astronauts to stay and work extended time . A space shuttle is a space craft to transport astronauts , satellites, and other materials to and from space.


Can you bowl in a space shuttle?

no you cant the bal willnot stay on the ground


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The Space Shuttle program was named after the Apollo program to honor the Apollo missions that landed astronauts on the Moon. The name Apollo also had historical significance and symbolized the United States' commitment to space exploration.


What The function of space shuttle?

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What does the space shuttle do?

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