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SHUTTLE
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
In
the post-Apollo era, the Space Shuttle was intended to make access
to space "routine" and less expensive. To meet these goals,
it had to be reusable and economical to develop and operate. Thus,
the Shuttle was shaped not only by engineering considerations but
also by pressure from the White House and Congress to control its
cost.
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AN ALLY
FOR THE SHUTTLE
Because
the Department of Defense was interested in using the Shuttle to
launch reconnaissance and other military satellites, military requirements
also influenced the Shuttle's design. A delta wing was chosen for
maneuverability, and the size of the payload bay was increased to
ensure that it could hold the largest planned military payloads.
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THE CHANGING
SHAPE OF THE SHUTTLE
During
the early 1970s, various Space Shuttle designs were proposed and
rejected until an acceptable balance between function and cost was
reached.
NASA's
concept in 1969 was a reusable manned booster and orbiter, but development
costs were too high. In mid-1971, North American Rockwell proposed
a fully reusable shuttle, like this model, but operating costs were
considered too high.
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cut costs, NASA abandoned the fully reusable Shuttle design in favor
of one that was partially reusable. Several designs were considered,
including this Grumman Aerospace concept for a vehicle with stages
that used the Apollo-era Saturn F-1 engine. |
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early 1972, NASA decided on a partially reusable Space Shuttle proposed
by North American Rockwell. It included a reusable manned orbiter,
two reusable solid-propellant booster rockets, an expendable fuel
tank, and an enlarged cargo bay. President Richard Nixon approved
the new Space Shuttle design. |
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