NASA Shuttle Reaches Mach 25 Speed In Space History

NASA's Space Shuttle has returned to public attention after comparisons with the SR-71 Blackbird highlighted its Mach 25 reentry speed, showing how a spacecraft and an aircraft can hold different speed records based on how they fly.

According to NASA records, a Shuttle orbiter returning from low Earth orbit reached roughly 17,500 mph, while the vehicle's orbital velocity was listed at 17,321 mph. The spacecraft operated at altitudes between about 115 and 386 miles above Earth.

The Shuttle achieved its extreme velocity after launch, with NASA data showing the orbiter accelerated from about 3,000 mph to more than 17,000 mph in around six minutes after the solid rocket boosters separated.

During reentry, the orbiter had no engines running and used its design as an unpowered glider to control speed and heat before landing at about 215 mph, according to NASA figures.

The renewed comparison also highlights the separate achievement of the SR-71 Blackbird. NASA describes the aircraft as a Mach 3.2 aircraft capable of sustained powered flight at altitudes up to 85,000 feet.

NASA said the SR-71 was designed as the world's fastest and highest-flying production aircraft, with continuous air-breathing engine operation during flight. The aircraft first flew on December 22, 1964, and NASA operated two SR-71 aircraft as research platforms during the 1990s.

President Richard Nixon announced the Shuttle program on January 5, 1972, with a goal of creating a reusable space transportation system. Nixon said it would "revolutionize transportation into near space," as the administration promoted more frequent access to orbit.

The program later completed 135 missions using Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour. According to NASA and program records, the fleet deployed satellites, supported the International Space Station, repaired the Hubble Space Telescope, and ended operations after Atlantis' final mission in 2011.

The Shuttle program cost about $10.6 billion in development between 1972 and 1982, according to reported program figures, while its engineering included more than 24,000 heat protection tiles designed for repeated atmospheric reentry.

The SR-71's final flight occurred on Saturday, October 9, 1999, at Edwards Air Force Base, according to NASA records. The Space Shuttle era ended with Atlantis landing on July 21, 2011.