Initial Object Exploration

Maria Luisa Peralta-Esquivel

Wednesday September 21, 2016

Intro to Design Studies

NASA’s Space Shuttle Atlantis

This summer, I visited the Kennedy Space Center. I had always wanted to go because I’ve been a big fan of NASA and space for the longest time. I don’t know much about the details of NASA’s specific launch missions, but I often find myself investigating about the Space age and the impact that this had on the world and design. In the sixties, the fight to discover a new frontier was formative for the culture. At the Kennedy Space Center, I saw the presentation for the Atlantis and Saturn IV shuttles. The Atlantis space shuttle is an orbiter that was used for 33 missions, the last on July 2011. At 69 tons, it is the lightest space shuttle in NASA’s fleet. The orbiter’s upper body is lined with large thermal protection blankets that are enforced by stitching. The Atlantis has the shape of the traditional space shuttle consisting of three main components: the orbiter, the external tank and two solid rocket boosters. The two rocket boosters are essential for the shuttle’s initial lift. The shuttle takes off like a rocket, enters back into earth’s orbit like a plane, and lands like a glider. The External tank is an orange cylinder with a tapered top. The Rocket Boosters have the same shape but are white. The orbiter is where the cabin is and it looks pretty much like an airplane. A small pole lines the spine of the orbiter. This addition was for the inclusion of an outside camera. A sort of “selfie stick” idea so that from the inside of the cabin, astronauts could help fix any problems that affected the outside of the Atlantis.

I want to explore this object for the rest of the semester because I was very inspired in seeing the presentation about it at the Kennedy Space Center. I have always been interested in space yet never considered how design was the most integral part of this endeavor. I want to explore NASA as a company. I want to explore the missions of the Atlantis and what this object has represented for the United States and for the morale of the public. I want to study this object for its technical meaning but also for its public effect.