8 exited the Operations and Checkout Building They were taken by bus to the launching pad smiling and waving to onlookers along the way Once they entered the Endeavour the astronauts went to their assigned locations and Jemison strapped herself into her seat on the mid deck of the shuttle US Vice President Dan Quayle was present for the launch and he sent a message of encouragement to the crew just before takeoff He asked Captain Gibson to greet Jemison and tell her that students in Detroit Michigan at Jemison Academy which had recently been named in her honor were watching the launch on television Suiting Up The orange launch entry suit Jemison and the other astronauts wore during launch and reentry was expertly designed but hardly comfortable It weighed 30 pounds 13 6 kg and could take up to 30 minutes to put on Nevertheless it had features Jemison and the other astronauts needed to keep them safe in an emergency Made from several layers of breathable material the suit had tubes of water running through it to regulate the astronauts temperature The orange outer layer which was fireproof covered an inner layer that could be inflated to maintain the correct air pressure in the event of an emergency A backup oxygen supply that could last ten minutes was available if needed The helmet consisted of a hard shell with a face plate that was lowered and sealed during launch and landing During launch preparations parachute and survival gear weighing 64 pounds 29 kg was strapped onto the astronauts once they were seated During the space shuttle program launch entry suits were orange so they would be visible should search and rescue be necessary
THE SPACE SHUTTLE MOBILE LABORATORY The main components of the space shuttle were the two solid rocket boosters the external tank and the orbiter The two solid rocket boosters provided most of the thrust to lift the shuttle off the launchpad Three main engines in the orbiter's tail provided additional thrust for liftoff At an altitude of 28 miles 45 km the boosters were discarded into the ocean for reuse on another launch The external tank the largest part of the shuttle fueled the orbiter's main engines for the continued journey into space The tank separated from the orbiter at 70 miles 113 km from Earth's surface Finally two small orbital maneuvering system engines which flanked the orbiter's tail completed the push to orbit The midsection of the orbiter contained the payload bay where cargo of various kinds such as the Spacelab could be mounted A large clamshell like door opened to expose payloads to space The forward section of the orbiter contained the three deck crew cabin Flight controls were located on the upper deck The lower deck was where astronauts worked and lived When the Spacelab was on board a crew transfer tunnel connected the mid deck to the Spacelab A collection of small thrusters provided front and rear maneuverability while the shuttle navigated in space When it came time to return to Earth the mission commander and pilot flew the orbiter as they would an airplane The space shuttle was different from NASA's earliest space vehicles in that the orbiter and solid rocket boosters were reusable on subsequent flights 10
PAYLOAD BAY DOORS PAYLOAD BAY EXTERNAL TANK Endeavour SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS ORBITER ORBITAL MANEUVERING SYSTEM ENGINES SHUTTLE MAIN ENGINES 11
