Cargo Bay (Orbiter)
The orbiter is the part of the space shuttle that orbits the Earth. Scientific experiments designed for the microgravity of Earth orbit are carried into space in the cargo or payload bay.
This picture shows the shuttle in orbit with the payload bay doors open. From the payload bay, the astronauts can deploy new satellites or service existing satellites or the Hubble Telescope. When the mission is over, the orbiter returns to Earth and lands on an airstrip similar to an airplane. After landing, the orbiter is refurbished to prepare it for a future mission to space.
The orbiter structure has several major sections, including the forward fuselage, midfuselage, wings, payload bay, aft fuselage, and vertical tail. It is constructed of various forms of aluminum, a light-weight metal. The forward fuselage houses the crew compartment. The midfuselage holds the wings and the payload bay. The payload bay doors are hinged along the side and split at the top centerline. The aft fuselage holds the three shuttle main engines arranged in a triangular pattern.
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This photo shows an astronaut working on the Hubble Space Telescope. You can see the open payload bay below the astronaut.
