Shuttles
Sightings: Cause for Reflection
Endeavour lights up the sky—and water—in Florida.
July 2010 |
By The Editors
Evolution of the Space Shuttle
How 30 years changed the world's most complex flying machine.
July 2010 |
By Michael Klesius
Plume Power
The space shuttle's exhaust trail makes for a lovely sight on an April morning.
May 11, 2010 |
By Michael Klesius
How the Spaceship Got Its Shape
In the 1950s Harvey Allen solved the problem of atmospheric entry. But first he had to convince his colleagues.
November 2009 |
By Andrew Chaikin
Secret Space Shuttles
When you’re 200 miles up, it’s easy to hide what you’re up to.
August 2009 |
By Michael Cassutt
The Fourth Crewmember
Armed with their checklists, the Apollo astronauts literally read themselves to the moon.
July 20, 2009 |
By Matthew Hersch
Why do NASA launch times depend on lighting conditions?
It's all about the solar beta angle.
July 14, 2009 |
By Michael Klesius
The Shuttle in a Different Light
The space shuttle glows in photographs taken by one of its own technicians.
July 13, 2009 |
By The Editors
Company Expected
Three more people will soon move into the International Space Station—and they’ll be drinking, um….
October 30, 2008 |
By Michael Klesius
End Run
A small band of rogue rocketeers takes on the NASA establishment.
September 29, 2008 |
By Michael Klesius
It All Started with Sputnik
An eminent space historian looks back on the first 50 years of space exploration.
July 2007 |
By Roger D. Launius
Your Space Shuttle Ride Awaits
A new ride at the Kennedy Space Center is -- sadly -- the closest most of us will come to experiencing the thrill of a shuttle launch.
July 2007 |
By Irene Klotz
Shuttle Tiles
Why the space shuttle can withstand reentry temperatures up to 2,300 degrees.
May 2006 |
By Damond Benningfield
The Space Shuttle Returns
How NASA recovered from the Columbia tragedy and tackled the job of getting the shuttle flying again.
May 2005 |
By Linda Shiner
Retro Rocketeers
If a capsule was good enough to get a crew to the moon, these old-timers say, it's good enough to get a crew back to Earth.
May 2004 |
By James Oberg
Is It Worth the Risk?
The astronaut who commanded the first shuttle flight after Challenger explains his decision.
July 2003 |
By Richard Hauck
White Elephant
How the Soviet Buran space shuttle helped the United States win the cold war.
January 2003 |
By Tom Harpole
Will the Air Force Finally Get a Spaceplane?
If Boeing's X-37 can maneuver politically as well as in space.
January 2003 |
By Ben Iannotta
