When we talk about spaceships, we often go to science fiction and think of fantasy ships when, in reality, We have many spaceships with stories that go beyond fantasy. These ships speak of history, of humanity's ambition, of the curiosity to explore and learn more. In essence, knowing them means knowing a little more about society.
As if this were not enough, equally interesting are the people who have been on board these ships or the people who have made them. There are many people involved in the making and launching of a spaceship into space. However, in this article we want to put special emphasis on the machines, on the most famous spaceships on our planet.
The most famous spaceships
Some spaceships would mark a milestone in the history of space explorationSome of them have become emblematic by playing an important role in understanding space. Therefore, they remain an integral and important part of history.
We would have to all these spaceships Adding the value of the Mars Rovers (Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity or Perseverance) that have explored the surface of Mars.
The most famous of the spaceships: Apollo 11
In 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made history by landing Apollo 11 on the lunar surface. From that moment on, this spacecraft would become one of the most famous in the history of space, being the one that took the first humans to the Moon. If you want to know more about space missions who have left their mark, this link is of great interest.
Location
After their mission, the Apollo 11 command module and lunar module were returned to Earth. The command module, which is called "Columbia", is located and can be seen in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC
Most of the Apollo 11 hardware, including the lunar module "Eagle" have been preserved as part of the historical heritage of space exploration. All of them are distributed in various museums that are dedicated specifically to preserving the history of space and its exploration.
The most distant of the spacecraft: Voyager 1 and Voyager 2
Launched into space in 1977, they are probes that have provided invaluable information about the outer solar system and are close to becoming the first human spacecraft to leave the solar system. Their data and images have expanded knowledge about planets such as Jupiter and Saturn.
Location
Both are in space, sending data to Earth although its communication capacity is reducing over time due to distance and the decrease in useful energy from its generators.
Voyager 1 is located about 23.3 billion kilometers of our planet, located outside the heliosphere of our solar system and therefore being the farthest probe from Earth.
Voyager 2 is the only probe to have visited the planets of the outer solar system sequentially: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. It is currently about 19.5 billion kilometers from Earth.
Space Shuttle
This space shuttle used by NASA from 1981 to 2011 became iconic for its ability to carry astronauts and cargo into space and back to Earth. Thanks to it, facilitated the construction of the International Space Station and the execution of multiple scientific missions. To better understand the parts of a spaceship, I recommend this link.
Location
We can find different Space Shuttle ships that were part of NASA's space program and that are arranged in various exhibition venues in the United States.
- Atlantis It is located at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.
- Endeavour It is at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.
- Discovery It is located at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, part of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, in Chantilly, Virginia.
- Enterprise It is at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York.
- Colombia, It is located at Space Center Houston in Texas, although it is important to say that it was destroyed upon entering the Earth's atmosphere in 2003, which led to an exhaustive review of shuttle safety and design protocols.
Soyuz
This launch vehicle, which has served since the 1960s, is famous for its reliability and its role in transporting astronauts and cosmonauts to the ISS. It has been a fundamental in manned exploration, especially after the retirement of the space shuttle. If you want to know more, you can check out an article on manned trips to spaceThere hasn't been just one ship of this model, but several have taken people into space.
Location
These ships are still in operation but some of them We can find them in museums space such as: Moscow Space Museum, National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC, Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago or the Museum of Space History.
