Transportation

Space Shuttle Challenger (OV-099): history, accident, and legacy Space Shuttle Challenger Overview of Space Shuttle Challenger (OV-099), the 1986 accident, investigation findings, crew, technical causes and the program changes and memorials that followed.

Space Shuttle Columbia (OV-102): history, design, and legacy Space Shuttle Columbia Columbia (OV-102) was NASA's first space shuttle orbiter, flying 28 missions from 1981 until the fatal STS-107 re-entry accident in 2003. This article summarizes its design, servic…

Space Shuttle Discovery (OV-103) Space Shuttle Discovery Space Shuttle Discovery (OV-103) was NASA's third operational orbiter. It flew more missions than any other shuttle, logged roughly one year in space, supported satellite deploymen…

Space Shuttle Endeavour (OV-105) Space Shuttle Endeavour Space Shuttle Endeavour (OV-105) was the fifth operational NASA orbiter, built as Challenger’s replacement; it flew 25 missions and is now preserved at the California Science Cente…

Space Shuttle Enterprise (OV-101) Space Shuttle Enterprise Enterprise (OV-101) was NASA’s first shuttle built for atmospheric flight tests. Lacking engines and thermal tiles, it validated handling, carrier-aircraft transport and landings a…

Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters Large, reusable solid-fuel rockets that served as the first-stage boosters for the Space Shuttle and form the basis of boosters used on the Space Launch System.

Spaceflight: Human and Robotic Travel Beyond Earth's Atmosphere Spaceflight Spaceflight is the design and operation of vehicles that travel into outer space. Covers types of craft, history from early rockets to satellites, mission purposes, and key operati…

Spaceport: facilities, functions, history and cultural depictions Spaceport An overview of spaceports: design, facilities, operations, types, history, regulatory and environmental issues, commercial uses, and how spaceports appear in culture and fiction.

SpaceShipOne: the first privately built manned suborbital spaceplane SpaceShipOne SpaceShipOne was the first privately developed manned vehicle to reach suborbital space and won the 2004 Ansari X Prize. Designed by Scaled Composites and funded by Paul Allen, it…

Spanish treasure fleet (Flota de Indias) Spanish treasure fleet The Flota de Indias was Spain’s organized convoy system (c. 1566–1790) linking the Iberian Peninsula with American colonies, transporting bullion, goods and passengers and shaping…

Speed of Sound (Walibi Holland) — Vekoma Boomerang Coaster Speed of Sound (roller coaster) A Vekoma Boomerang shuttle coaster at Walibi Holland, opened in 2000 as La Via Volta, closed in 2007, and refurbished and reopened in 2011 as Speed of Sound with a new train and or…

Speedometer Instrument that displays a vehicle's instantaneous speed, typically in mph or km/h; explains types, operation, components, accuracy factors, history, and common uses across road, c…

Spoke (wheel component) Spoke A spoke is a rod or bar connecting a wheel's hub to its rim. This article explains spokes' form, materials, history, functions, common designs and care.

Sport utility vehicle (SUV): types, design, history, and uses Sport utility vehicle A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a passenger vehicle combining elements of road cars and off-road capability. This article explains design, classifications, history, common uses, a…

Spotting (off‑road) Spotting (off-road) The practice of guiding an off‑road driver through difficult terrain by using a person (spotter) who directs vehicle movement with voice and hand signals to avoid obstacles and dam…

Springleaf MRT station (TE4) — overview, layout, and local connections Springleaf MRT station Springleaf MRT (TE4) is an underground station on Singapore’s Thomson–East Coast Line serving Yishun’s Springside area and nearby Mandai attractions; it features standard undergrou…

Sprinter (British Rail) — British diesel multiple-unit family Sprinter (British Rail) Sprinter is the informal name for a family of British diesel multiple units introduced in the 1980s–90s for regional and commuter services. They are noted for standardised mechanic…

Square rig: design, history, and uses of square-sail ship rigging Square rig Square rig is a traditional sailing arrangement with horizontal spars and square sails; used historically for long ocean voyages, cargo ships, and warships, with distinct handling,…

SR Class 2Nol — Southern Railway two-car electric multiple units SR Class 2Nol Overview of the Southern Railway 2Nol two-car electric multiple units: origin, design approach, service use in the 1930s–1950s, and their place in Southern region suburban traction…

SR Class 2SL electric multiple units SR Class 2SL SR 2SL was a small class of Southern Railway two‑car electric multiple units built for South London suburban services; they were withdrawn before British Rail’s TOPS system and nev…

SR 2Wim electric multiple units SR Class 2Wim History and characteristics of the Southern Railway 2Wim two-car electric multiple units used on the West Croydon–Wimbledon shuttle; their role, operations, withdrawal and why they…

SR Class 4DD — Southern Railway double-deck electric multiple unit SR Class 4DD Two experimental double-deck electric multiple units by Oliver Bulleid for Southern Railway commuter services. Innovative within the UK loading gauge but limited by cramped upper c…

SR Class 4Lav — Southern Railway four-car 'Lav' electric multiple units SR Class 4Lav 4Lav was the Southern Railway designation for four-car electric multiple units with lavatories used on semi-fast London–Brighton services. None survived long enough to receive a TO…

SR Class 6Pul — Southern Railway six‑car electric multiple units SR Class 6Pul Overview of the Southern Railway 6Pul six‑car electric multiple units: designation, role on London–Brighton and coastal routes, characteristics, service history and why none receiv…

Southern Railway CP electric multiple units — AC suburban trains for Crystal Palace services SR Class CP History and technical overview of the Southern Railway CP AC electric multiple units used on Crystal Palace suburban services, covering their origins, operation and replacement dur…

SR Class CW (Southern Railway AC Electric Multiple Units) SR Class CW AC electric multiple units designated CW by the Southern Railway, planned by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway and introduced for suburban services to Coulsdon and Walli…

SR Class SL — Southern Railway AC electric multiple units SR Class SL SR Class SL was the Southern Railway designation for a group of AC electric multiple units used on the former London, Brighton and South Coast Railway South London Line; later supp…

Southern Railway departmental locomotives SR departmental locomotives Overview of the Southern Railway’s departmental (non-revenue) locomotives: numbering system, types (steam, diesel, electric), roles, historical development and preservation legacy.

Southern Railway multiple-unit numbering and classification SR multiple unit numbering and classification How the Southern Railway and later Southern Region classified and numbered electric multiple units (EMUs), the structure of codes, their history, examples, and legacy after TOPS.

SS Andrea Doria — Italian ocean liner and 1956 collision SS Andrea Doria Italian Line flagship SS Andrea Doria (launched 1951) was a postwar transatlantic ocean liner that sank after colliding with MS Stockholm in 1956; noted for design, rescue, and its…

SS Edmund Fitzgerald: Great Lakes freighter lost in the 1975 storm SS Edmund Fitzgerald The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was a large U.S. Great Lakes ore carrier that sank in Lake Superior on November 10, 1975, with the loss of all 29 crew. Its loss remains one of North Ameri…

SS Richard Montgomery — wrecked Liberty ship and explosive hazard off Kent SS Richard Montgomery The World War II Liberty ship SS Richard Montgomery sank off Sheerness, Kent, in 1944 carrying about 1,400 tonnes of munitions; many explosives remain aboard and are monitored as a…

SS Yongala — Australian passenger steamship lost in a 1911 cyclone SS Yongala Early 20th-century passenger steamship launched 1903. It sank in a cyclone off Queensland on 23 March 1911 while en route from Melbourne to Cairns. The wreck was located in 1958 an…

Stafford railway station Major junction station in Stafford, Staffordshire, England, serving intercity and regional routes on the West Coast Main Line and the Rugby–Birmingham–Stafford line.

Stagecoach — horse-drawn passenger and mail transport Stagecoach A stagecoach is a horse-drawn coach that carried passengers, mail and goods on scheduled routes between stopping points (stages). Widely used from the 17th to 19th centuries in Eur…

Stairlift A stairlift is a motorized chair or platform that carries people up and down stairs, installed on rails fixed to the staircase. Used for accessibility, with several types, safety f…

Stamford Hill railway station — London Overground stop on the Lea Valley Lines Stamford Hill railway station Stamford Hill is a London Overground station on the Seven Sisters branch of the Lea Valley Lines, straddling Hackney and Haringey boroughs in Travelcard Zone 3, serving north-east…

Standard gauge (railway) Standard gauge Standard gauge is the most widely used rail spacing worldwide, defined as 1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in). It underpins interoperability, high-speed rail and most international freight route…

Stansted Express — direct rail link between London and Stansted Airport Stansted Express Stansted Express is the dedicated rail service connecting central London with Stansted Airport. It offers frequent direct trains, baggage-friendly facilities and connections to Lon…

Star Lane DLR station Star Lane DLR station in Canning Town, East London. Opened 31 August 2011 as part of the Stratford International extension of the Docklands Light Railway.

Staten Island Ferry The Staten Island Ferry is a free, 24/7 commuter and tourist ferry linking Manhattan and Staten Island, known for its regular 25-minute crossings, historic origins, and high annual…

Station wagon (estate car) Station wagon A station wagon is a car body style combining passenger seating with an extended rear cargo area and rear access, popular for practical family and utility use and differing from se…

Stealth ship: design, history, and operational roles Stealth ship A stealth ship minimizes detection by radar, sonar, infrared and visual sensors. This article outlines design principles, development history, operational uses, limitations, and no…

Steam car: history, design, and legacy Steam car An automobile driven by a steam engine. Explains how steam cars work, their components, early development, practical uses, and notable distinctions in automotive history.

Steam locomotive: design, history, and legacy Steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a railway engine driven by steam pressure. This article explains how it works, its main parts, historical development, common types, uses, decline, and preser…

Steam locomotives of British Railways (1948–1968) Steam locomotives of British Railways Survey of steam traction on British Railways from nationalization through the postwar Standard designs, decline under modernization, and the preservation movement that followed.

Steamboat: history, design, and cultural impact Steamboat Overview of steamboats (steamships): how they worked, key designs (paddlewheel and propeller), major inventors and milestones, 19th-century importance, and later decline and preser…

Steering: control systems for vehicles and vessels Steering Overview of steering systems used to direct cars, trucks, bicycles, boats, ships and tracked or rail vehicles, including types, components, history and notable distinctions.