太空梭(space shuttle)

正式名称为太空运输系统（Space Transportation System; STS）

由美国国家航空暨太空总署（NASA）研制的进入地球轨道，为地球和轨道运行航天器运送人员和货物，并能滑翔回地面着陆的可部分重复使用的火箭助推的运载机。1981年首次将太空梭送进轨道的飞行。这架飞机由一个装载人员和货物的有翼轨道飞行器、一个供轨道飞行器、三台主火箭引擎使用的液体燃料和氧化剂的可耗尽外贮箱、两个可重复使用的大型固体推进剂集束器组成。飞行器像可耗尽的发动工具一样垂直发射升空，但以类似滑翔机的无动力方式降落。每个飞行器设计为可以重复使用一百次。为了处理飞行器外面的货物和其他材料，太空人使用可远端控制的机器人手臂或穿着太空服走出飞行器。执行某些任务时，飞行器要在它的货物舱带着一种称为太空实验室的欧洲人创造的加压研究设施。在1981年和1985年，有四架轨道飞行器进行了服务，它们是「哥伦比亚号」（第一架进入轨道的）、「挑战者号」、「发现者号」和「亚特兰提斯号」。1995～1998年间，美国国家航空暨太空总署执行了将飞行器送入俄国「和平号太空站」为国际太空站（ISS）的建立做准备的使命。从1998年开始，飞行器广泛用来运送元件、补给和乘员到国际太空站。

English version：

space shuttle

Partially reusable rocket-launched vehicle developed by NASA to go into earth orbit, transport people and cargo between earth and orbiting spacecraft, and glide to a runway landing on earth. The first flight of a space shuttle into orbit took place in 1981. The shuttle consists of a winged orbiter that carries crew and cargo; an expendable external tank of liquid fuel and oxidizer for the orbiter's three main rocket engines; and two large, reusable solid-propellant booster rockets. The orbiter lifts off vertically like an expendable launch vehicle but makes an unpowered descent similar to a glider. Each orbiter was designed to be reused up to 100 times. For manipulating cargo and other materials outside the orbiter, astronauts use a remotely controlled robot arm or exit the orbiter wearing spacesuits. On some missions, the shuttle carries a European-built pressurized research facility called Spacelab in its cargo bay. Between 1981 and 1985, four shuttle orbiters were put into service: Columbia (the first in orbit), Challenger, Discovery, and Atlantis. Challenger exploded in 1986, killing all seven astronauts aboard; it was replaced in 1992 by Endeavour. In 1995-98, NASA conducted shuttle missions to the Russian space station Mir to prepare for the construction of the International Space Station (ISS). Beginning in 1998, the shuttle was used extensively to ferry components, supplies, and crews to the ISS.