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IT CAN’T BE TRUE! 153
FAST FACTS
The Space Shuttle’s three engines
could burn the equivalent of 2.4 swimming Space Shuttle
pools of liquid fuel in a minute—that’s
1,000 gallons (3,785 liters) a second.
Thrust SSC
Swimming pool
33 x 20 ft (10 x 6 m)
The Space Shuttle took just under
40 seconds to reach a speed of 620 mph
(1,000 kph). However, the holder of the world
land-speed record, the Thrust SSC rocket car,
reached this speed in 16 seconds—less than
half the time taken by the Shuttle.
The
Space
Shuttle had
the same
power as
31 Jumbo HEAVY LIFTING
Jets.
The shuttle weighed around 2,200 tons
(2,000 metric tons) at launch. Most of
that came from the rockets and fuel needed
A Boeing 747, or to propel it fast enough to escape the pull
Jumbo Jet, produces of gravity and enter orbit.
224,000 lb (101,600 kg)
of thrust at takeoff.
US_152_153_309600_ICBT_Space_shuttle.indd 153 20/12/17 5:31 pm
