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
With the space shuttle's systems checked and the crew seated the operators reported Endeavour's launch configuration was set The gaseous oxygen vent hood also known as the beanie cap was lifted off the external fuel tank Treasures Aboard Jemison closed her flight visor as instructed At 6 6 seconds to launch the main engines fired Then the final countdown began At any moment they would either be breaking their way through Earth's atmosphere or remembered as heroes Space shuttle astronauts often brought items aboard that had special meaning or symbolism to them On her 1992 voyage Jemison brought a poster from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater featuring African American dancer Judith Jamison in her signature piece Cry Jemison wanted to reflect her love for dance and her passion for embracing the African American experience She also brought a small statue from a women's society in Sierra Leone and a flag from the Organization of African Unity to signify that advances in space travel were for all nations Other items included a certificate from the Chicago public school system and a banner from Alpha Kappa Alpha the nation's oldest sorority for black women both of which symbolized Jemison's dedication to science education The populations Jemison chose to represent are not usually involved in exploring space She wanted to show that they possessed the same kind of creativity and potential that made space travel a reality of a launch gone wrong Three two one Endeavour successfully launched at 10 23 a m Jemison was on her way to explore the cosmos When first contacting Mission Control Jemison led off with the phrase All hailing frequencies are Jemison's Endeavour voyage was the culmination of her childhood dream to travel into space 12
