When we talk about spaceships, we often think of science fiction and fantasy vessels, when in reality, we have many spaceships with stories that go far beyond fantasy. These ships speak of history, of humanity's ambition, of the curiosity to explore and learn more. Essentially, learning about them is to learn a little more about society.
As if that weren't enough, equally fascinating are the people who have been aboard these spacecraft or who have built them. A multitude of people are involved in the construction and launch of a spacecraft. However, in this article, we want to focus specifically on the machines themselves, on the most famous spacecraft on our planet.
The most famous spaceships
Some spacecraft have marked a milestone in the history of space exploration . Some have become iconic, playing a significant role in our understanding of space. Therefore, they remain an integral and important part of history.
To all these spacecraft we would have to add 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 on the lunar surface aboard Apollo 11. This spacecraft would become one of the most famous in space history, as it carried the first humans to the Moon. If you'd like to learn more about space missions that 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, known as Columbia, is on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
Most of the Apollo 11 hardware, including the lunar module "Eagle," has been preserved as part of the historical heritage of space exploration. These artifacts are distributed among various museums dedicated 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, these probes have provided invaluable information about the outer solar system and are close to becoming the first human-made spacecraft to leave the solar system. Their data and images have expanded our knowledge of planets like Jupiter and Saturn.
Location
Both are in space , sending data back to Earth, although their communication capabilities are decreasing over time due to distance and the diminishing usable power of their generators.
Voyager 1 is located about 23.3 billion kilometers from our planet , outside the heliosphere of our solar system and therefore being the most distant probe from Earth.
Voyager 2 is the only spacecraft 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. It facilitated the construction of the International Space Station and the execution of numerous scientific missions. To better understand the parts of a spacecraft , I recommend this link.
Location
We can find different Space Shuttle vehicles that were part of NASA's space program and that are displayed in different exhibition locations 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 been in service since the 1960s, is famous for its reliability and its role in transporting astronauts and cosmonauts to the ISS. It has been a fundamental spacecraft in human space exploration, especially after the retirement of the Space Shuttle. If you want to learn more, you can consult an article about human spaceflight . There hasn't been just one spacecraft of this model; several have carried people into space.
Location
These spacecraft are still operational, but some of them can be found in space museums such as: the Moscow Space Museum, the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC, the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, or the Museum of Space History.
