#kerbal

It's the second vehicle produced the agency's SpacePlane Research Program, intended to be a more advanced and reliable successor to the SP-101 "Coupris" shuttle. Due to aerodynamic instability, the engineers decided to ditch the SP-101's asymetrical boosters for a the intuitive approach of strapping it on top of a big dumb booster

It only had 1.5 seats, which were compensated by an advanced computer piloting system, and it could embark any cargo mass, as long as it fits in the cargo bay. It has powerful orbital engines and two jets for powered landing.

It's probably the most polyvalent spacecraft ever made. It went on a wide range of missions in Kerbin orbit including :

Deploying small satellites/probes

Retrieving small satellites/probes

Helping the construction of the Peace-2 space station

Orbital rescue missions

Studying the weather

Science expeditions

Crew transfer between the ground and the Peace-2 space stations

It even landed on the Mun once ! But it did require the intervention of an automated refueling craft. We needed to go check the munar base we lost contact with, so we sent an engineer straight out of the uni.

And despite the new generations of spaceplanes. She's still kickin' ! It will be remembered as one of the most emblematic vehicle to ever fly.

Here are some specifications :

Payload to orbit = 10t Dry/Wet mass = 9t/18t Delta-V = 2315m/s Thrust = 180kN

Height 3.3m / Width 6.3m / Length 10.9m