# On A Glide (DD-615) > The Space Shuttle orbiter came home without engine power. NASA's Glenn Research Center explains that once the external tank was gone, the main engines had no propellant, so the shuttle returned as an unpowered glider. It had a low lift-to-drag ratio because it had to slow from about 17,300 mph to about 250 mph. About an hour before landing, a deorbit burn dropped it out of orbit. It entered the atmosphere nose-first at a 40° angle of attack to limit heating, and computers controlled its speed with a series of banking roll reversals. NASA's Kennedy Space Center fact sheet says commanders took manual control for the final approach during subsonic flight, usually about 22 miles (35 km) from touchdown. The initial approach glide slope was 20 degrees, more than six times steeper than an airliner's 3 degrees. Because the orbiter was unpowered, it had no go-around capability. It touched down at 213 to 226 mph. From 1991, orbiters were fitted with a 40-foot drag parachute, deployed as the nose came down, plus carbon brakes. Of 133 successful landings, 78 were at Kennedy's 15,000-foot Shuttle Landing Facility, 54 at Edwards Air Force Base in California and one, STS-3, at White Sands in New Mexico. The program flew 135 missions between April 12, 1981, and July 21, 2011, when Atlantis made the final landing. The footage shows an orbiter gliding over Florida wetlands, touching down and rolling out with its drag chute. - Department: Space (also Tech, History) - First published: 2025-07-14 - Last updated: 2025-07-14 - Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/on-a-glide/ - Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department ## On the timeline - **April 12, 1981**: The Space Shuttle program's first mission launches - **July 21, 2011**: Atlantis makes the final Space Shuttle landing Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=on-a-glide ## Quick facts - **DD-615-F01**: The Space Shuttle orbiter landed unpowered, as a glider. _(Write-up · Exhibit A (Unpowered))_ - **DD-615-F02**: 78 of the Space Shuttle's 133 landings were at Kennedy Space Center. _(Write-up · Exhibit E (Where they landed))_ ## Write-up No engines, no second try. Space shuttles came home as gliders, with no go-around. 1. **Unpowered**: The orbiter returned as a glider, with no propellant for its main engines. 2. **Nose high**: It entered the atmosphere at a 40° angle of attack to limit heating. 3. **Hands on late**: Commanders took manual control only in subsonic flight, about 22 miles from touchdown. 4. **Steep approach**: The 20° glide slope was over six times steeper than an airliner's, with no go-around. 5. **Where they landed**: 78 of 133 landings were at Kennedy, 54 at Edwards and one at White Sands. ## Related case files - [Spacewalker (DD-652)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/spacewalker/): Another Space Shuttle-era case - [Lunar Roving (DD-609)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/lunar-roving/): Another NASA vehicle case - [Baikonur Cosmodrome (DD-570)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/baikonur-cosmodrome/): How the US Space Shuttle, Buran's counterpart, landed ## Reel vs. record - **Note**: 'With astronauts manually controlling the descent and approach': reentry was flown by computers. Commanders took manual control only for the final approach, during subsonic flight about 22 miles (35 km) from touchdown. - **Note**: 'A steep, high-speed glide': the approach glide slope was about 20°, more than six times steeper than an airliner's 3°. The glide was unpowered, so there was no go-around. - **Note**: 'Using landing gear and brakes to safely stop': from 1991, orbiters also deployed a 40-foot drag parachute after touchdown, and carbon brakes were added. - **Note**: 'Usually at Kennedy Space Center or Edwards Air Force Base': 78 landings were at Kennedy and 54 at Edwards. One mission, STS-3, landed at White Sands, New Mexico. - **Missing**: the program flew 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. 133 returned safely, and the last landing was Atlantis on July 21, 2011. ## Video: On A Glide: No Engines, No Second Try - Duration: 20.8 s · Published: 2025-07-14 - File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DMFuRxzNrUR.mp4 ### Transcript DID YOU KNOW? Space shuttles landed by reentering Earth's atmosphere at precise angles to manage intense heat and deceleration. Once through the atmosphere, they transitioned into a steep, high-speed glide with astronauts manually controlling the descent and approach. Finally, the shuttle touched down on a long runway, usually at Kennedy Space Center or Edwards Air Force Base, using landing gear and brakes to safely stop. NOW YOU KNOW! ## Questions & answers **Q: How did the Space Shuttle orbiter land?** A: It had no go-around capability. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Unpowered) · NASA Kennedy Space Center fact sheet: Landing the Space Shuttle Orbiter; NASA Glenn Research Center: Space Shuttle as a Glider)_ **Q: At what angle of attack did the orbiter enter the atmosphere?** A: To limit heating. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Unpowered) · NASA Kennedy Space Center fact sheet: Landing the Space Shuttle Orbiter; NASA Glenn Research Center: Space Shuttle as a Glider)_ **Q: Where did most shuttle landings happen?** A: 78 of 133. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Nose high) · Wikipedia: Space Shuttle)_ **Q: When did commanders take manual control?** A: About 22 miles from touchdown. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Unpowered) · NASA Kennedy Space Center fact sheet: Landing the Space Shuttle Orbiter; NASA Glenn Research Center: Space Shuttle as a Glider)_ **Q: What extra device was added from 1991 to slow the orbiter on the runway?** A: 40 feet across. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Unpowered) · NASA Kennedy Space Center fact sheet: Landing the Space Shuttle Orbiter; NASA Glenn Research Center: Space Shuttle as a Glider)_ ## Sources - [NASA Kennedy Space Center fact sheet: Landing the Space Shuttle Orbiter](https://www3.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/pdf/167415main_LandingatKSC06.pdf) - [NASA Glenn Research Center: Space Shuttle as a Glider](https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/beginners-guide-to-aeronautics/space-shuttle-as-a-glider/) - [Wikipedia: Space Shuttle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle) - [Wikipedia: Shuttle Landing Facility](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuttle_Landing_Facility) ## Cite this case file Easterling, Marcus. "On A Glide." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-615, last updated Jul 14, 2025. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/on-a-glide/