Question

Describe how spacecraft evolved from the US Mercury to contemporary space shuttles.

Answer 1

The evolution of spacecraft from the US Mercury program to contemporary space shuttles involved advancements in technology and a shift in focus. The US Mercury program aimed to put humans in space and used one-person capsules launched atop Redstone and Atlas rockets. Contemporary space shuttles like the Space Shuttle were larger, more complex vehicles capable of carrying both astronauts and cargo to space.

Step-by-step explanation:

The evolution of spacecraft from the US Mercury program to contemporary space shuttles was marked by advancements in technology and a shift in focus. The US Mercury program, which ran from 1958 to 1963, aimed to put humans in space for the first time. It consisted of one-person capsules that were launched atop Redstone and Atlas rockets.

In comparison, contemporary space shuttles like the Space Shuttle were larger and more complex vehicles designed to carry both astronauts and cargo to space. The Space Shuttle program, which operated from 1981 to 2011, utilized reusable spacecraft with some reusable parts, such as the solid fuel boosters and the orbiter.

However, the need for human operation made the space shuttles expensive for launching satellites, and the program ultimately faced safety concerns and retired after 135 launches. Nowadays, spacecraft have evolved to include various types, such as crewed capsules like the SpaceX Crew Dragon and cargo spacecraft like the SpaceX Cargo Dragon, which are designed to meet specific mission requirements.

Answer 2

Several of the subsystems evolved during the program through design changes: The parachute system, essential for booster recovery, was redesigned with larger parachutes in 1983. Frangible nuts, used in the space shuttle pad hold down and release system, were redesigned in 2008.