Scores are relative 0–100 marks within this atlas. Use them to browse, not as an engineering spec.
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Quick answers
Which local authority or corridor rules matter for this type?
Start with the local lens: type approval, operator licences and the hubs named on this page — not a single global checklist.
Is this a buying guide?
No. Tool-Lifes /vehicles is an educational atlas. It explains history, systems and culture without affiliate rankings.
Are the scores official?
No. The six scores are relative editorial 0–100 marks across the 40 types on this site.
Where do the photos come from?
Lead images resolve from Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia titles on the English masters, with licences recorded on the credits page.
Why metric units?
Metric is the default. Regional notes (US customary, local brand culture) appear in culture and market chapters.
How is this different from a wiki article?
Each type gets seven fixed-depth chapters, comparable scores and cross-type labs — structured for browsing, not a single freeform page.
Every Space Shuttle is a negotiated stack of structure, energy conversion, control and human interfaces under weather and regulation.
The systems, meters and hotspots below are type-level engineering — manufacturers vary; load paths and failure modes do not.
Systems
Orbiter & delta wing
Reusable orbiter glides from orbit; wing provides crossrange and runway landing capability.
SSME main engines
Three hydrogen/oxygen engines on orbiter feed from ET during ascent only.
Solid rocket boosters
SRBs provide majority of liftoff thrust; parachute recovery for reuse after splashdown.
External tank
ET carries LOX/LH2; discarded each flight—largest non-reusable element.
TPS tile field
Thousands of silica tiles and RCC panels protect aluminum airframe from reentry heating.
Payload bay & RMS arm
60 ft bay deploys satellites; robotic arm berths ISS modules and inspects tiles.
Relative meters
Hotspots
TPS tile loss
Missing tiles expose skin to local overheating on reentry—Columbia lesson.
SRB O-ring/seal
Joint anomalies caused historic loss—now drives inspection culture.
APU hydrazine
APU failures affect hydraulic power for aerosurfaces on approach.
Main engine turbopump
SSME anomalies during ascent triggered abort-to-orbit scenarios.
Landing gear tire blowout
Heavy wet runway landings stress brakes and tires at high energy.
Materials
Al 2219 airframe
Conventional alloy skin with stringers behind tile blanket.
RCC nose/cap
Reinforced carbon-carbon survives highest reentry heat flux.
LI-900 silica tiles
Low-density tiles insulate airframe from plasma heating.
Nomex felt gap fillers
Flexible fillers accommodate tile movement; must be flush for aero heating.