Does anyone know why the shuttles are referred to as "she's"?
Pretty much any vehicle or vessel is usually considered to be female. It goes back a long way in history to the days when ships were the ideal mode of transportation. Traditionally, most ships were named after, or in honor of a female. Commonly the wife/daughter/mother of the boats owner or captain, or a female in power (I.E. Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth).
"Steady as she goes!"
"The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay had they put fifteen more miles behind her." Lyrics from Grodon Lightfoot, about a ship with a male name, the
"Edmund Fitzgerald".
...all the way up to "I'm givin' it all she's got, Captain!" (Add heavy Scottish accent, if you like...
)
Below are just a few examples of famous ships with female names:
#1: Steamer
"Empress Of Britain"#2: Steamer
"Queen Mary"#3: Lake Freighter
"Courtney Burton", sister ship to the
"Edmound Fitzgerald". Oddly enough, most lake ships are given male names, or named after landmarks or cities along the lakes. Few actually have female names, but all are called "her".
#4: Fishing Vessel
"Andrea Gail", lost in the Atlantic during "The Perfect Storm" (yes, that's a true story).