National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

Educational Product

Educators

& Students

Grades

5-12

EB-2000-08-130-HQ

Educational Brief

Space Shuttle Glider

Your Space Shuttle Glider is a scale model of the U.S. Space

Shuttle orbiter. The airplane-like orbiter usually remains in Earth

orbit for up to two weeks at a time. It normally carries a six- to

seven-person crew, which includes the mission commander, pilot,

and several mission and/or payload specialists who have specialized training associated with the payloads and experiments being

flown on that mission.

The Space Shuttle system can perform many types of missions.

Some missions may involve deployment, servicing, or retrieval of

payloads such as communication satellites or orbiting observatories. Other missions may carry the pressurized spacelab module

and scientific instruments capable of making astronomical observations or studying Earth’s changing environment. The Space

Shuttle also transports International Space Station components for

assembly on orbit. At the end of a Shuttle mission, the orbiter is

piloted back to Earth and lands on an airstrip like an airplane. It is

then refurbished so that it can fly another mission. 

The orbiter and its engines are just part of the Space Shuttle system. The other parts (not modeled here) are the solid rocket

boosters (SRBs) used for launch and the external tank that contains approximately two million items liquid propellant for the three

main Shuttle engines. Almost all of the parts are reusable with the

exception of the external tank that is jettisoned just before the

Shuttle achieves Earth orbit. The ability to reuse equipment substantially decreases the cost of space operations. During our

Earthbound years we relied on vehicles such as trucks, trains,

boats, and airplanes to provide for all of our transportation needs.

Now that we have expanded our destinations to include Earth

orbit, we can add the Space Shuttle to that list.
Assembly Instructions

Read carefully before assembly.

1. Cut out all parts using scissors.

2. Cut out V-shaped notches on Fuselage to create tabs along

outside edge. Fold tabs out.

3. Glue or tape three Nose Weights to underside of glider

nose. Use the fourth weight provided if needed for extra

trim after assembly.

4. Fold Fuselage along middle line.

5. Starting at the nose, glue or tape fuselage to Deck and Wing

Assembly. Match tabs on Fuselage exactly to those two

halves together using tabs provided.

6. To close the nose, glue or tape the two halves together

using tabs provided.

7. Fold Vertical Stabilizer Assembly. Fold out tabs A and B.

Except for tabs A and B, glue or tape Vertical Stabilizer

Assembly to make one solid piece.

8. Attach Vertical Stabilizer to Fuselage, matching tab A with

point A and tab B with point B.

Preflight Instructions

For the best results,

launch your glider with a

gentle level toss. Bend the

Body Flap for slightly greater

lift.

Vertical Stabilizer

Assembly

Fuselage

Deck and Wing

Assembly

Nose Weights

Space Shuttle Glider Challenges

Challenge #1—Determine the scale of the glider

Needed: Space Shuttle Glider, metric ruler, and calculator

What To Do: Measure the length of your glider in centimeters. Divide

your answer into the length of the real Space Shuttle orbiter to determine

your glider’s scale. 

Space Shuttle orbiter length: 3,724 centimeters.

Challenge #2—Glide ratio

Needed: Space Shuttle Glider and tape measure

What To Do: Gently launch the Space Shuttle Glider horizontally from a

measured height above the floor. Measure how far across the floor the

orbiter traveled from the launching point. Determine the glide ratio by

dividing how far it traveled by the distance it dropped to the floor.

Research the glide ratios of other aircraft such as commercial jets, small

private planes, and sail planes.

Challenge #3—Fishing Line Guidance System

Needed: Space Shuttle Glider, paper clips, nylon fishing line, cellophane

tape, and book

What To Do: Spread open two paper clips so that they become "S" hooks.

Straighten out the lower end of the S for each hook and attach these

straightened ends to the back of the glider with tape. One clip should be

in the nose and the other in the tail. Tie one end of the fishing line around

the book and set the book on the floor. Stand several meters from the

book and hold the other end of the fishing line about one meter above the

floor. Hook the glider onto the fishing line and let it go. Try to get the

glider to land on the floor without running into the book.

LAUNCH

RE-ENTRY AIRSTRIP

LANDING

BOOSTER SEPARATION

EXTERNAL TANK

SEPARATION AND

ORBIT INSERTION

Space Shuttle

Glider

Assembly

Instructions

ON-ORBIT

OPERATIONS
United States

United States

Vertical

Stabilizer

Assembly

Fold

Deck

and Wing

Assembly

Body Flap

Fuselage

Nose Weight

Glue this

Weight on

Last with

Marking

Showing

Fold Fold

Fold

In

Cut Notches and Fold

Tabs to Outside

A

B

A

B

USA

Dashed Notches are for

Reference Only. DO NOT CUT.

Vertical Stabilizer

Assembly

Fuselage

Deck and Wing

Assembly

Nose Weights

United States

Assembly Instructions (Read carefully before assembly.)

1. Cut out all parts using scissors.

2. Cut out V-shaped notches on Fuselage to create tabs along outside edge. Fold tabs out.

3. Glue or tape three Nose Weights to underside of glider nose. Use the fourth weight provided if needed for extra trim after assembly.

4. Fold Fuselage along middle line.

5. Starting at the nose, glue or tape fuselage to Deck and Wing Assembly. Match tabs on Fuselage

exactly to those two halves together using tabs provided.

6. To close the nose, glue or tape the two halves together using tabs provided.

7. Fold Vertical Stabilizer Assembly. Fold out tabs A and B. Except for tabs A and B, glue or tape

Vertical Stabilizer Assembly to make one solid piece.

8. Attach Vertical Stabilizer to Fuselage, matching tab A with point A and tab B with point B.

Preflight Instructions

For the best results, launch your glider with a gentle level toss. Bend the Body Flap for slightly greater lift.
USA

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration