Final space shuttle11/8/2023 Amazingly, the five computers running the avionics system initially had only 424 KB of memory and the processors could only handle 400,000 instructions per second.During all 135 machines, the fifth computer and code was never needed. The fifth computer was used as a backup to the four computers, with different code to assure that if some bug in the code of the other four crashed all four, that it would not crash the fifth. If one seemed to have failed, the others would remove it from the system. Each of the computers would constantly check each other for failure. Four of the computers would run the avionics software. To accommodate the potential for computer failure, which would then cause total loss of control of the control surfaces in a fly-by-wire system, the shuttle included five redundant 32-bit general purpose computers. The space shuttle was one of the first fly-by-wire systems (no direct mechanical or hydraulic interlinks between the controls and the control surfaces).These provided 12.5 million newtons of thrust each. 83% of the thrust needed for liftoff with the Space Shuttle System was provided by the two rocket boosters attached to the main tank.Although the main tank attached to the orbiter during liftoff was always discarded to disintegrate (and explode) in the atmosphere, it was actually designed to be able to stay attached to the orbiter and placed in orbit to possibly be reused, such as perhaps be integrated into the International Space Station.So, had a major problem occurred in orbit, the astronauts would have had to stay aboard the International Space Station and be taken back to Earth one at a time aboard the Russian Soyuz capsules. Each shuttle typically held five to seven crew members, though in the final Atlantis mission, only four crew members were aboard due to the fact that no rescue mission would have been immediately possible by NASA.The first orbital test flight was accomplished with the Space Shuttle Columbia on April 12, 1981. It had its first free flight on Augwhen it was detached from the carrier mid-flight to continue to test its flight capabilities. The first launch of the Enterprise prototype was on February 18, 1977, attached to a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft throughout the flight.While the average cost of a specific Space Shuttle mission tended to be about a half a billion dollars, when factoring all aspects of the Space Shuttle program, which cost a total of $170-$180 billion, each of the 135 missions actually cost about $1.3 billion.Our space program would look awesome to anyone living backwards through time.” As Neil deGrasse Tyson said, “Apollo in 1969. This final shuttle mission marked the 166th manned space flight mission performed by NASA and to date the last where NASA had the ability to send someone into orbit or beyond. The shuttle program was originally intended to last only 15 years, but due to the space station project evolving into the much more ambitious International Space Station project and a variety of other delays, the shuttle program lasted twice as long as originally anticipated. The three surviving were Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour. Two of the five space worthy shuttles were destroyed in accidents (Challenger and Columbia). Throughout their run, a total of five space worthy shuttles were built, with the additional Enterprise prototype used for flight testing, but never upgraded to be able to fly in low orbit, as was initially planned (it lacked engines and did not have a heat shield, among other things). Atlantis touched down at 5:57 AM EDT on July 21, 2011, closing 30 years and 135 missions performed by the Space Shuttles. On this day in history, 2011, the space shuttle Atlantis launched from the Kennedy Space Center to deliver equipment and supplies to the International Space Station. Atlantis Touching Down After Its Final Mission
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