Space Shuttle Re-entry

The loss of the space shuttle Columbia on February 1, 2003, drove home a simple truth: space travel is never routine, no matter how many shuttles launch and land. Success depends on near-perfection--especially during re-entry, where there is almost no room for error. Here's how it's supposed to work.

First, the shuttle has to slow down. While in orbit, it's traveling at 17,500 miles per hour (28,000 km/h). That really is faster than a speeding bullet. Imagine driving down a highway for five minutes, passing landmark after landmark as you go. The orbiting shuttle would speed by it all in a second.

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