The Space Shuttle - NASA

What really happened to NASA's Columbia shuttle during re-entry?

Space | Earth | Astronomy 🔭 on Instagram: "Imagine holding something that’s still glowing red-hot - and not getting burned. 😳🔥 NASA’s Space Shuttle was protected by incredibly advanced heat-resistant tiles that could withstand temperatures of up to 2,300°F. Most of the orbiter was covered in LI-900 silica tiles, made from extremely pure quartz sand. Their job was to shield the shuttle’s aluminum body from the brutal heat of re-entry. These tiles were such poor heat conductors that even when t

Galaxies on Instagram: "After re-entering the atmosphere, the Space Shuttle landed like an unpowered glider. Once it hit the upper atmosphere at around 17,500 mph, air resistance slowed it dramatically while the heat shield absorbed extreme temperatures. There were no engines to turn back on—after re-entry, it was committed to landing. As the shuttle descended, it flew a steep, controlled glide, far steeper than a normal airplane, to bleed off speed. Pilots used the shuttle’s body and wings to m