Types of Spacecrafts

A spacecraft is a vehicle capable of transporting people and cargo beyond the Earth's atmosphere, through space to other planetary bodies, space stations, or orbits, and back. Launch vehicles are spacecraft that are launched from the surface of a planet and typically take off from launch pads at spaceports. Numerous other manned and unmanned craft have been launched to advance scientific knowledge, enhance national security, or provide critical services such as telecommunications and weather forecasting.

Spacecraft

Types of Spacecraft

Have you ever wondered how many types of spacecraft there are? There are various types of spacecraft according to their design and purpose. In general, they are of three types:

• Crewed Spacecraft: Crewed spacecraft are designed to support human life during the mission's human spaceflight portion. Human spacecraft must be fit for purpose and have a human-rating certification. The first crewed spacecraft was Vostok 1 and currently, there are two space stations in orbit around the earth, i.e., the international space station and the Chinese Tiangong space station. Space capsules, spaceplanes, and space stations.

• Earth Orbit Satellites: The satellites which orbit around the earth are known as earth orbit satellites. After leaving the satellite in space, it should be properly placed in the corresponding orbit. It revolves in a specific way and serves a purpose, whether scientific, military, or commercial. Earth Orbits are the orbits assigned to satellites with respect to the Earth. Earth Orbit Satellites are satellites that are present in those orbits. Types of earth orbit satellites are:

• Geosynchronous Earth Orbit Satellite

• Medium Earth Orbit Satellites

• Low Earth Orbit Satellites.

Types of Propulsion System in Spacecraft

Any method used to accelerate spacecraft and artificial satellites is referred to as spacecraft propulsion. In-space propulsion is the use of propulsion systems in the vacuum of space and should not be confused with space launch or atmospheric entry. The types of spacecraft propulsions are generally divided into four groups on the basis of physics:

• Chemical Propulsion

• Electric Propulsion

• Advanced Propulsion Technologies

• Supporting Technologies

Star Wars

Star Wars is a George Lucas-created American epic space opera multimedia franchise that began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has spawned numerous films and other forms of media, including television series, video games, novels, comic books, theme park attractions, and themed areas, resulting in an all-encompassing fictional universe.

Star Wars

Types of Spacecraft in Star Wars

• TIE Fighter: Throughout the majority of the Galactic Civil War and beyond, the TIE was the standard Imperial starfighter. With a maximum atmospheric speed of 1200 kph, it was the fastest in the galaxy. It may require up to two pilots. It is of 6m in length.

• X-Wing: The T-65 X-Wing has an almost perfect balance of speed, manoeuvrability, and defensive shielding, making it the Rebel Alliance's fighter of choice. It is not as fast as a TIE fighter, but it has more autonomy (up to a week) and can carry more cargo. One pilot and one astromech droid make up the crew. It is 12m in length.

• Millennium Falcon: The Millennium Falcon was a light freighter that Han Solo and Chewbacca used as smugglers. The ship's aged appearance belied numerous advanced modifications to improve its speed, weapons, and shield. It can carry up to six passengers and has a cargo capacity of 100 metric tonnes. It is of 34m in length.

• Destroyer: These ships are extremely effective, not only because of their firepower but also because of their sheer size. It carries 72 TIE fighters and numerous ground forces, including stormtroopers, and is armed with turbolasers, ion cannons, and tractor beam projectors. It is of 1600m in length.

• Droid Control Ship: Battle droid armies on planetary surfaces were coordinated using Droid Control Ships. The ship resembled a standard Lucrehulk-class battleship in appearance, with 1,500 Vulture droid starfighters ready to fight the enemy. Anakin Skywalker annihilated a Droid Control Ship, ensuring Naboo's victory. It is 3170m in length.

• Executor: The Executioner subclass Lord Darth Vader's personal flagship, the Star Dreadnought Executor, was one of the largest and most powerful Imperial vessels ever built. With over 5,000 turbolasers and ion cannons, it could wipe out a portion of the planet in a matter of hours. It could transport up to 50,000 ground troops. It is 19000m in length.

• Death Star: The Galactic Empire built the Death Star, a moon-sized deep space mobile battle station. It possessed a super laser weapon capable of annihilating an entire planet. The DS1 was crewed by 265,675 people, including 52,276 gunners, 607,360 troops, 30,984 stormtroopers, 42,782 ship support personnel, and 180,216 pilots and workers. It is 160km in length.

Solved Questions

1. What is a spacecraft?

Ans: A spacecraft is a vehicle capable of transporting people and cargo beyond the Earth's atmosphere, through space to other planetary bodies, space stations, or orbits, and back.

2. How many types of earth orbit satellites are there?

Ans: There are three types of earth orbit satellites.

3. Who launches the first spacecraft?

Ans: The Soviet Union launched the first spacecraft.

Learning by Doing

Write True Or False.

1. Sputnik 1 was the first launched spacecraft_________

2. Star Wars is a George Lucas-created American epic space opera________

3. The first reusable spacecraft was the space shuttle________

Summary

Spacecraft is a vehicle designed to travel in space outside the earth’s atmosphere. The first reusable spacecraft was the space shuttle. Humans have learned a great deal about the planets, stars, and other objects in space thanks to space exploration. Since 1957, over 5,000 spacecraft have been launched into orbit to collect data. They include human-powered spacecraft, space probes, and satellites. Initially, the Soviet Union (now Russia) and the United States were the primary countries involved in space exploration. Many other countries are now taking part.