How fast does a Space Shuttle travel? What is its altitude? How much fuel does it use?
A. Like any other object in low Earth orbit, a Shuttle must reach speeds of about 17,500 miles per hour (28,000 kilometers per hour) to remain in orbit. The exact speed depends on the Shuttles orbital altitude, which normally ranges from 190 miles to 330 miles (304 kilometers to 528 kilometers) above sea level, depending on its mission. Each of the two solid rocket boosters on the Shuttle carries more than one million pounds of solid propellant. The Shuttles large external tank is loaded with more than 500,000 gallons of supercold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, which are mixed and burned together to form the fuel for the Shuttles three main rocket engines.
