During the launch, astronauts in a space shuttle experience a sensation of weightlessness for a short period due to the force of gravity being canceled out by the acceleration of the shuttle. However, this weightlessness is not the same as the zero gravity experienced in orbit, as it is a result of the shuttle's motion rather than being in a true microgravity environment.
Around 4
Apollo 1: A cabin fire during a launch rehearsal in 1967 killed astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee. Space Shuttle Challenger: The shuttle disintegrated during launch in 1986, resulting in the deaths of all seven crew members. Space Shuttle Columbia: The shuttle broke apart during re-entry in 2003, leading to the deaths of all seven astronauts on board.
The four main parts of a space shuttle are the orbiter, which is the main part that astronauts live and work in, the solid rocket boosters, which help launch the shuttle into space, the external tank, which holds the fuel for the shuttle, and the main engines, which provide thrust during launch.
During a shuttle launch, astronauts experience high G-forces which can cause increased blood pressure, changes in vision, and difficulty breathing. The force of gravity can also compress the spine and put stress on the body, leading to potential muscular-skeletal issues. As the shuttle accelerates, the astronauts feel heavier due to the increasing G-forces acting on their bodies.
There were seven astronauts onboard the space shuttle Challenger when it tragically exploded shortly after its launch on January 28, 1986.
Noop. In fact, as the Shuttle is accelerating, the astronauts are experiencing not only the pull of gravity, but also the acceleration of the rocket. For the comfort of the crew, they try to keep the excess gravity to about 4 G, basically 4 times the pull of gravity. Only after the engines have stopped, and the shuttle is no longer accelerating, will the astronauts feel weightless, as the Shuttle and astronauts are all falling around the Earth at the same speed.
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Apollo 1: A cabin fire during a launch rehearsal in 1967 killed astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee. Space Shuttle Challenger: The shuttle disintegrated during launch in 1986, resulting in the deaths of all seven crew members. Space Shuttle Columbia: The shuttle broke apart during re-entry in 2003, leading to the deaths of all seven astronauts on board.
The four main parts of a space shuttle are the orbiter, which is the main part that astronauts live and work in, the solid rocket boosters, which help launch the shuttle into space, the external tank, which holds the fuel for the shuttle, and the main engines, which provide thrust during launch.
During a shuttle launch, astronauts experience high G-forces which can cause increased blood pressure, changes in vision, and difficulty breathing. The force of gravity can also compress the spine and put stress on the body, leading to potential muscular-skeletal issues. As the shuttle accelerates, the astronauts feel heavier due to the increasing G-forces acting on their bodies.
There were seven astronauts onboard the space shuttle Challenger when it tragically exploded shortly after its launch on January 28, 1986.
The final walk astronauts take when they walk to the space shuttle is called the "walkout." This is a ceremonial departure where the astronauts wave to onlookers and receive well-wishes before boarding the shuttle for launch.
The closest personnel are to the space shuttle during launch is usually around 3 miles away at the Kennedy Space Center. This distance is for safety reasons, to protect personnel in case of an explosion or other hazardous event during launch.
The fourth mission of the space shuttle carrying astronauts launched on June 18, 1983.
All astronauts enter the Shuttle at the 195-foot-level of the launch tower.
Astronauts stayed inside the Apollo Command Module during launch and reentry. This module was attached to the Saturn V rocket during launch and detached for reentry to bring the astronauts safely back to Earth.
Space Shuttle Challenger failed during launch. Space Shuttle Columbia failed during reentry.