ALL meanings of space shuttle
space shut·tle
S s - noun space shuttle type of spacecraft 1
- noun space shuttle any of several U.S. space vehicles consisting of a reusable manned orbiter that touches down on a landing strip after an orbital mission, two reusable solid rocket boosters that drop off after initial ascent, and an expendable external tank containing liquid propellants. 1
- countable noun space shuttle A space shuttle or a shuttle is a spacecraft that is designed to travel into space and back to earth several times. 0
- noun space shuttle any of a series of reusable US space vehicles (Columbia (exploded 2003), Challenger (exploded 1986), Discovery, Atlantis, Endeavour) that can be launched into earth orbit transporting astronauts and equipment for a period of observation, research, etc, before re-entry and an unpowered landing on a runway. The first operational flight took place in 1981 and it was taken out of service in 2011 0
- noun space shuttle a manned, airplanelike spacecraft designed for shuttling back and forth, as between the earth and a space station, transporting personnel and equipment 0