Sylvie Willis
The amount of fuel burned when a shuttle takes off is a complex question that depends on several factors, including the shuttle's payload, mission profile, and specific engine specifications. The space shuttle, for instance, has three main parts: the orbiter, an external fuel tank, and solid rocket boosters. The external tank holds a significant amount of fuel, over half a million gallons of self-combustible liquid, which includes liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. The solid rocket boosters contribute about 85% of the thrust needed for liftoff, burning around two million pounds of rubbery aluminium fuel. During launch, the solid rocket boosters burn until they are depleted, and the main engines continue to operate for about 8.5 minutes, burning a substantial amount of fuel to accelerate the shuttle to orbital speed. While the exact amount of fuel burned during a shuttle takeoff may vary, it is evident that a large quantity of fuel is required to propel a shuttle into space.
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What You'll Learn
- The shuttle's main engines burn half a million gallons of liquid propellant
- The shuttle's external fuel tank holds over half a million gallons of self-combustible liquid
- Solid rocket boosters generate 85% of the thrust needed for takeoff
- The shuttle's main engines burn liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen
- The shuttle's main engines operate for 8.5 minutes after launch
The shuttle's main engines burn half a million gallons of liquid propellant
The space shuttle is a multi-stage vehicle, which means that it drops parts that are no longer needed as it moves through its journey. This is done to reduce weight and increase efficiency. The shuttle has three main parts: an Orbiter, which houses the crew and the payload; an immense external fuel tank; and two Solid Rocket Boosters. The Orbiter contains three main engines, which burn a half-million gallons of liquid propellant provided by the large external fuel tank. The liquid propellant consists of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. Liquid hydrogen is the second coldest liquid on Earth at minus 423 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 252.8 degrees Celsius).
The external fuel tank holds more than half a million gallons of self-combustible liquid. The Solid Rocket Boosters provide 85% of the thrust needed to get the shuttle off the ground. They use two million pounds of rubbery aluminium fuel, which is a mixture of ammonium perchlorate, aluminium, iron oxide, PBAN or HTPB polymers, and an epoxy curing agent. The boosters have finished their work about two minutes after launch and are then dropped into the ocean, to be reused.
The main engines are then used to provide thrust, accelerating the shuttle from 4,828 kilometres per hour (3,000 mph) to over 27,358 kilometres per hour (17,000 mph) in just six minutes to reach orbit. The shuttle's main engines burn through all the fuel in the external tank. The external tank still has a small amount of fuel in it when it is dropped off, as it is safer and more controllable to shut down the main engines rather than let them run dry. The shuttle then uses the Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) for the final orbital insertion burn.
The shuttle faces the same problem as any craft heading into space: the need to boost "excess" mass in the form of fuel. This means that most of the fuel is used to transport the fuel it will burn later in the journey. This is why the shuttle drops parts that are no longer needed as it moves through its journey, to reduce weight and increase efficiency.
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The shuttle's external fuel tank holds over half a million gallons of self-combustible liquid
The space shuttle's external fuel tank, also known as the ET, is an essential component of the spacecraft's launch vehicle. The ET is the largest and heaviest element of the space shuttle when loaded, standing at 154 feet (47 meters) tall and weighing nearly 1.7 million pounds (772,727 kg) when filled with propellant.
The primary purpose of the ET is to supply fuel and oxidizer to the shuttle's three main engines during the ascent into orbit. The tank holds an impressive amount of propellant, with over half a million gallons of self-combustible liquid, specifically liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. These substances are super-chilled, with the oxygen kept at -183°C (-297°F) and the hydrogen at an even colder -253°C (-423°F).
The external fuel tank is not reusable and is jettisoned just over ten seconds after the main engine cut-off. It breaks up before impacting the Earth's atmosphere, with any debris falling into remote areas of the Indian or Pacific Oceans. The ET's design has undergone modifications over the years to reduce weight and increase the shuttle's cargo-carrying capability.
The external fuel tank plays a critical role in providing the necessary fuel for the space shuttle's engines during the ascent into orbit. Its size and weight make it a significant component of the spacecraft, and its ability to hold a vast quantity of self-combustible liquid fuel is crucial for the shuttle's successful launch and operation.
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Solid rocket boosters generate 85% of the thrust needed for takeoff
The Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) are an integral part of the shuttle's launch process, providing the majority of the thrust required for takeoff. Each SRB is a self-contained, independent power unit fuelled by hydrazine, with a liftoff thrust of approximately 12 meganewtons (2,800,000 pounds-force) at sea level. The two SRBs together contribute 85% of the total thrust needed to lift the shuttle off the ground and into orbit.
The SRBs are solid propellant motors, which, unlike liquid propellant rockets, provide greater thrust with a simpler design. They do not rely on external oxygen to burn fuel, as they carry an oxidizer kept separate from the fuel until ignition. The SRBs' solid propellant consists of ammonium perchlorate as the oxidizer, aluminium powder as fuel, and PBAN as an adhesive. This combination allows for a high-temperature, high-pressure exhaust, crucial for overcoming Earth's gravity during launch.
The Space Shuttle SRBs are the largest solid propellant motors ever flown for human spaceflight and are designed for recovery and reuse. Each SRB is about 149 feet long and 12 feet in diameter, weighing approximately 1,300,000 pounds at launch. They are attached to the external fuel tank, which holds over half a million gallons of self-combustible liquid.
The SRBs are ignited along with the three main engines, and they burn for about two minutes, after which they are jettisoned and parachuted into the ocean for recovery and refurbishment. The shuttle continues its ascent, shedding weight and gaining speed, leaving 90% of its launch mass behind by the time it reaches orbit.
The exact amount of fuel burned during shuttle takeoff is not explicitly stated, but it is implied that most, if not all, of the fuel is used, with only a small amount left to keep fuel and oxidizer sumps covered to prevent engine issues.
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The shuttle's main engines burn liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen
The Space Shuttle's main engines burn a combination of liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer. Liquid hydrogen is an extremely powerful rocket propellant due to its low molecular weight, allowing it to burn with extreme intensity at 5,500°F. When combined with liquid oxygen, it offers the highest efficiency relative to the amount of propellant consumed.
The liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer are stored in the Space Shuttle External Tank (ET), which acts as the "backbone" of the shuttle. The ET is the largest and heaviest component of the Space Shuttle when loaded. It consists of three major components: the liquid oxygen tank, the liquid hydrogen tank, and the intertank that separates them.
The liquid oxygen tank is located at the top of the ET and provides the oxidizer necessary for combustion. It features a cap that siphons off oxygen vapour to prevent large ice accumulations on the ET, protecting the orbiter's thermal protection system during launch. The liquid hydrogen tank, known as the LH2 tank, is the largest part of the ET but is relatively light due to liquid hydrogen's very low density. It supplies liquid hydrogen through a feed line to the main engines at a maximum flow rate of 47,365 US gallons per minute.
To maintain its liquid state, liquid hydrogen must be kept at extremely low temperatures, typically around −252.87 °C. This requirement poses significant technical challenges and has driven the development of advanced cryogenic storage tanks. Additionally, liquid hydrogen must be insulated from other heat sources, such as rocket engine exhaust and air friction during flight, to prevent evaporation and potential tank explosion.
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The shuttle's main engines operate for 8.5 minutes after launch
The Space Shuttle consists of three major components: the Orbiter, which houses the crew; a large External Tank (ET) that holds fuel for the main engines; and two Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB) that provide most of the Shuttle's lift during the first two minutes of flight. The three Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME), in conjunction with the SRBs, provide the thrust to lift the Orbiter off the ground for the initial ascent.
The main engines continue to operate for 8.5 minutes after launch, which is the duration of the Shuttle's powered flight. After the SRBs are jettisoned, the main engines provide thrust, accelerating the Shuttle from 4,828 kilometres per hour (3,000 mph) to over 27,358 kilometres per hour (17,000 mph) in just six minutes to reach orbit. They create a combined maximum thrust of more than 1.2 million pounds. As the Shuttle accelerates, the main engines burn 500,000 gallons of liquid propellant provided by the large, orange external fuel tank. The main engines burn liquid hydrogen—the second coldest liquid on Earth at minus 252.8 degrees Celsius—and liquid oxygen. The ET is the only component of the Space Shuttle that is not reused.
The SRBs operate in parallel with the main engines for the first two minutes of flight, providing the additional thrust needed for the Orbiter to escape Earth's gravitational pull. At an altitude of approximately 45 kilometres (24 nautical miles), the boosters separate from the Orbiter/ET, descend on parachutes, and land in the Atlantic Ocean. They are then recovered, returned to land, and refurbished for reuse. The boosters also assist in guiding the entire vehicle during the initial ascent.
The multistage vehicle was invented to address the challenge of boosting "excess" mass in the form of fuel. A relatively small payload is launched by huge, powerful rockets that drop away sequentially or in sections when their fuel supplies are exhausted.
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Frequently asked questions
The space shuttle burns a half-million gallons of liquid propellant provided by the large, orange external fuel tank. The main engines burn liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.
The shuttle carries more than half a million gallons of self-combustible liquid fuel. Two million pounds of rubbery aluminium fuel is burned by two solid rocket boosters, generating 85% of the thrust needed to take off.
The shuttle drops its external fuel tank and boosters two minutes after launch, so these are not available for manoeuvring and re-entry. However, the shuttle does retain some fuel for these purposes, but the exact amount is unclear.
