- Translation missing: en.sections.mission.launch_date
- 12 Apr 1981 (STS-1)
- Translation missing: en.sections.mission.vehicle
- Space Transportation System
- Translation missing: en.sections.mission.duration
- 1981–2011, 135 missions
The Space Shuttle Era: A Legacy of Reusable Spaceflight
Not just rockets — these were spaceplanes that launched like a rocket, orbited like a satellite, and landed like an airplane.
Discovery: The Trailblazer of Spaceflight
Discovery flew 39 missions, more than any other shuttle in history
It launched the Hubble Space Telescope (1990) and helped build the International Space Station
Discovery carried astronaut John Glenn back to space in 1998, making him the oldest person to fly in space at age 77
It launched the Hubble Space Telescope (1990) and helped build the International Space Station
Discovery carried astronaut John Glenn back to space in 1998, making him the oldest person to fly in space at age 77
Atlantis: The ISS Builder and Hubble's Savior
Atlantis was the first shuttle to dock with the Russian space station Mir (1995), strengthening post-Cold War space cooperation
It flew 33 missions, including the final Space Shuttle flight in 2011
Atlantis carried astronauts on five missions to service the Hubble Space Telescope, saving and upgrading one of NASA's greatest scientific instruments
It flew 33 missions, including the final Space Shuttle flight in 2011
Atlantis carried astronauts on five missions to service the Hubble Space Telescope, saving and upgrading one of NASA's greatest scientific instruments
Endeavour: Built for the Next Generation
After the Challenger disaster in 1986, NASA built Endeavour as a replacement shuttle, debuting in 1992
Endeavour carried the first American segment of the ISS, helping to construct the space station we use today
It hosted NASA's first spacewalk by an African American astronaut, Dr. Bernard Harris, in 1995
Endeavour carried the first American segment of the ISS, helping to construct the space station we use today
It hosted NASA's first spacewalk by an African American astronaut, Dr. Bernard Harris, in 1995
The Legacy of the Space Shuttle Program and the Heat Shield That Made It Possible
The Space Shuttle's Thermal Protection System (TPS) had over 24,000 heat-resistant tiles that could withstand temperatures of 3,000°F (1,650°C) during reentry — hotter than molten lava
The Space Shuttle Program didn't just launch satellites — it built the ISS, revolutionized spaceflight, and trained the astronauts who would later go to the Moon and Mars
First reusable spacecraft: shuttles could launch, land, and launch again
ISS assembly: without the shuttles, the ISS wouldn't exist
Hubble repairs: without shuttle missions, the Hubble Space Telescope wouldn't have lasted
135 missions, 30 years: from 1981 to 2011, the shuttle program changed how humans explore space
The Space Shuttle Program didn't just launch satellites — it built the ISS, revolutionized spaceflight, and trained the astronauts who would later go to the Moon and Mars
First reusable spacecraft: shuttles could launch, land, and launch again
ISS assembly: without the shuttles, the ISS wouldn't exist
Hubble repairs: without shuttle missions, the Hubble Space Telescope wouldn't have lasted
135 missions, 30 years: from 1981 to 2011, the shuttle program changed how humans explore space
Translation missing: en.sections.mission.shop_the_mission
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The Space Shuttle
Regular price $54.99 USDRegular price
The Space Shuttle Era: A Legacy of Reusable Spaceflight
Not just rockets — these were spaceplanes that launched like a rocket, orbited like a satellite, and landed like an airplane.
Discovery: The Trailblazer of Spaceflight
- Discovery flew 39 missions, more than any other shuttle in history
- It launched the Hubble Space Telescope (1990) and helped build the International Space Station
- Discovery carried astronaut John Glenn back to space in 1998, making him the oldest person to fly in space at age 77
Atlantis: The ISS Builder and Hubble's Savior
- Atlantis was the first shuttle to dock with the Russian space station Mir (1995), strengthening post-Cold War space cooperation
- It flew 33 missions, including the final Space Shuttle flight in 2011
- Atlantis carried astronauts on five missions to service the Hubble Space Telescope, saving and upgrading one of NASA's greatest scientific instruments
Endeavour: Built for the Next Generation
- After the Challenger disaster in 1986, NASA built Endeavour as a replacement shuttle, debuting in 1992
- Endeavour carried the first American segment of the ISS, helping to construct the space station we use today
- It hosted NASA's first spacewalk by an African American astronaut, Dr. Bernard Harris, in 1995
The Legacy of the Space Shuttle Program and the Heat Shield That Made It Possible
- The Space Shuttle's Thermal Protection System (TPS) had over 24,000 heat-resistant tiles that could withstand temperatures of 3,000°F (1,650°C) during reentry — hotter than molten lava
- The Space Shuttle Program didn't just launch satellites — it built the ISS, revolutionized spaceflight, and trained the astronauts who would later go to the Moon and Mars
- First reusable spacecraft: shuttles could launch, land, and launch again
- ISS assembly: without the shuttles, the ISS wouldn't exist
- Hubble repairs: without shuttle missions, the Hubble Space Telescope wouldn't have lasted
- 135 missions, 30 years: from 1981 to 2011, the shuttle program changed how humans explore space
Discovery, Columbia, Atlantis, and Endeavour — four shuttles, one legacy.