Reusable spacecraft

Space Shuttle Endeavour landing from orbit on STS-126, its 22nd spaceflight

Reusable spacecraft are spacecraft capable of repeated launch, atmospheric reentry, and landing or splashdown. This contrasts with expendable spacecraft which are designed to be discarded after use. Agencies operating reusable spacecraft aim to have lower costs and higher flight frequencies.[1]

Reusable spacecraft may be crewed or uncrewed and orbital or sub-orbital. Examples include spaceplanes such as the Space Shuttle and the Boeing X-37B, and space capsules such as the SpaceX Dragon. The Blue Origin New Shepard is an example of a sub-orbital spacecraft.

  1. ^ Rincon, Paul (17 April 2023). "What is Elon Musk's Starship space vehicle?". BBC. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2024.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · View on Wikipedia

Developed by Nelliwinne