QUESTION:
How many gallons of fuel per second does the shuttle use as it lifts off?

ANSWER from Guy Beutelschies on February 27, 1997:
Although I do not work on the shuttle, I was able to find this information
on the internet at
http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/shuttle-stats.txt.

The shuttle main engines pump 242,000 liters per minute of liquid oxygen
and 184,420 liters per minute of liquid hydrogen.  These two fluids ignite
to form the thrust for the main engines.  The shuttle also has two solid
rockets that  each contain 503,627 kg of solid propellant (Aluminum
Perchlorate for the oxidizer, Aluminum powder for the fuel, Iron Oxide for
the Catalyst, a polymer for the binder and fuel, and an epoxy curing agent).