ABSTRACT
Introduction .............................................................................................................. 83 Different De nitions of Space ................................................................................. 83 Basic Physics of Rockets .........................................................................................85 Launch Windows ......................................................................................................86 Space and Spaceplanes ............................................................................................86 Being Human in Space .............................................................................................87 Conclusion ...............................................................................................................88 References ................................................................................................................ 89
On March 11, 2008, the space shuttle Endeavour launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, as mission STS-123. The mission lasted nearly 16 days, covered over nearly 10M km, and carried a crew of seven astronauts. The shuttle’s external tank, which was discarded before reaching orbit, contained supercold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen totaling about a half-million gallons. All this propellant was burned in just 8.5 minutes, delivering Endeavour to an altitude of 341 km.
