Space shuttle program missions

Every space shuttle ever launched, in order youtube. With the launch of space shuttle discovery on september 29, 1988 nasa entered a brand new era of space shuttle operations, adopting a more relaxed pace averaging about eight launches per year. Commander hoot gibson and pilot guy gardner flew the approach, while mission specialist mike mullane, at the other end of the flight deck, readied the shuttles robot arm for a. Nasas space shuttles have racked up an amazing set of accomplishments over the last 30 years, not to mention the miles and statistics. After the success of the apollo 11 mission, nasa proposed an ambitious plan for a series of large space stations to be developed during the 1970s and a new reusable space transportation system to send people and supplies to those stations, lunar bases, and crewed missions to mars in the 1980s. And the orbiter fleet never flew more than nine missions in a single year. Eleven space shuttle missions, a joint soyuz flight and almost cumulative days in space for american astronauts occurred over the course of seven longduration expeditions. Nasas space shuttle rises from the dead to power new. Nasas space shuttle program began in 1972 when president nixon approved the program that would ferry astronauts between earth and the low earth orbiting space station though reagan didnt approve the space station part of the program. The longest orbital flight of the shuttle was sts80 at 17 days 15 hours. Starting with columbia and continuing with challenger, discovery, atlantis and endeavour, the spacecraft has carried people into orbit repeatedly. Its official program name was space transportation system, taken from a 1969 plan for a system of reusable spacecraft of.

The space shuttle challenger, which was first called sta099, was built to serve as a test vehicle for nasas shuttle program. Kennedy space center, a typical space shuttle mission lasted ten. Each year in january, nasa honors its lost astronauts in ceremonies marking the loss of space shuttles challenger and columbia, and the apollo 1 spacecraft. Columbia deployed numerous satellites and operated several times as a laboratory in space during its missions and was the only shuttle to land at white sands space harbor, in las cruces, n. This is a list of missions flown by space shuttles. Nasa ended the shuttle program seven years ago after 5 missions as the space agency shifted its priorities to developing hardware for deep space travel. Centered in this photo are the embroidered patches for the first and last missions, sts1 and sts5. Get the latest updates on nasa missions, subscribe to blogs, rss feeds and podcasts, watch nasa tv live, or simply read about our mission to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research. Steve garber, nasa history web curator for further. Jan 25, 2019 10 of the most important space missions in history. The space shuttle was a partially reusable low earth orbital spacecraft system operated by the u.

The space shuttle has a history filled with many milestones and high points. Get the best deals on space shuttle exploration mission collectibles when you shop the largest online selection at. The history of the national space transportation system. The final shuttle flight, nasas sts5 mission aboard. From 1981 to 2011 a total of 5 missions were flown, all launched from kennedy space center ksc in florida. The program rebounded in april 1990 with the successful mission of discovery.

The first missions were always given a number based on the sequence it was in for its flight. Space shuttle flights resumed on july 26, 2005, with the launch of discovery. Nasa announced that subsequent crewed missions would use the russian soyuz spacecraft as well as spacecraft built by american companies. National aeronautics and space administration nasa. Ten years after the challenger disaster, two large pieces from the. The space shuttle program was suspended in the wake of the accident, and no shuttles were launched for nearly three years.

The analysis reveals that, as of the end of 2010, the space agency. From april 1981 through january 1986, 25 space shuttle launches were conducted. Sts is the official name of the space shuttle program and stands for space transportation system. During the 30 year program there were many firsts including the first american woman and first africanamerican into space and achievements like the deployment of the hubble space telescope and construction of the international space station. The giant gold and silver satellite glittered against the black sky as space shuttle atlantis closed in on it from below. This was just the 25th space shuttle mission, and it became stunningly clear that major modifications to the entire space shuttle program were called for. The amount of historical, technical, and operational information packed into these couple hundred pages is amazing. Nasa s space shuttle fleet began setting records with its first launch on april 12, 1981 and continued to set high marks of achievement and endurance through 30 years of missions. By the end of the thirtyyear program, the distinctly recognizable spacecraft became an american icon, serving the nation as the host for scientific space research. The mission featured the deployment of the hubble space telescope, the first of nasas great. Operational missions launched numerous satellites, interplanetary probes, and the hubble space telescope hst. The 25th mission of the united states space shuttle program launched on january 28, 1986. On february 1, 2003, the space shuttle columbia broke up while returning sts107 to earth over texas.

The space shuttle columbia left, slated for mission sts 35. When its mission was complete, the orbiter would reenter. During that time period the fleet logged 1,322 days, 19 hours, 21 minutes and 23 seconds of flight time. The history of the national space transportation system the first 100 missions dennis r. However, 1 minute, seconds after liftoff during the 25th launch on jan. The shuttle columbia lifts off on the first space shuttle mission ever, sts1. The space shuttle flew for the final time and the program retired with sts5. The space shuttle composed of an orbiter launched with two reusable solid rocket boosters and a disposable external fuel tank carried up to eight astronauts and up to 50,000 lb 23,000 kg of payload into low earth orbit leo.

The 30 year program accomplished so much and left behind a legacy of exploration that paves the way for the next generation of spacecraft. Jul 21, 2011 every space shuttle mission had its own mission emblem, designed and worn by the crews. Jsc features space shuttle program mission evaluation. Get the latest updates on nasa missions, watch nasa tv live, and learn about our quest to reveal the unknown and benefit all humankind. List of space shuttle missions wikipedia, the free. As we near the end of the program, lets look back at the past few decades of shuttle history. Jul 28, 2019 nasas final space shuttle mission comes to an end on this day in 2011, nasas space shuttle program completes its final, and 5th, mission, when the shuttle atlantis lands at kennedy space. The space shuttle was retired from service upon the conclusion of sts5. Eleven space shuttle missions, a joint soyuz flight and almost cumulative days in space for american astronauts occurred over the. Deputy director bob cabana, space shuttle program manager bill parsons and space shuttle program mer manager lead david moyer were the major speakers on hand at this event. Space shuttle program nasas five space shuttle orbiters were the first spacecraft capable of routinely launching into space like rockets and then returning to earth as gliders.

Space shuttles could carry satellites, space probes, and other cargo into orbit around earth on both commercial and noncommercial missions. While missions resumed in july 2005, the space shuttle program ended in 2011. In 2011, the storied space shuttle flew for the last time. All four orbiters in the fleet columbia, challenger, discovery and atlantis were flown. Read cnn s space shuttle program fast facts for a look at the nasa program, which ended in 2011 after 5 missions. But after three decades and 5 flights, the era of the nasa space shuttle is at an end. Visit the space shuttle site for information about the 30yearlong space shuttle program.

The components were arranged in various configurations to meet the needs of each spaceflight. This includes advancing human exploration and providing safe access to space. This is why commitment to the space shuttle program is the right step for america to take, in moving out from our present beachhead in the sky to achieve a real working presence in space because the space shuttle will give us routine access to space by sharply reducing costs in dollars and preparation time. The first goal of the space shuttle program was to provide nasa with an efficient, reusable method of carrying astronauts to and from a permanently manned space station. Several have flown in space material in the medallion. By the time it landed on july 21st to complete the space shuttle program s storied 30 year history, atlantis orbited the earth 200 times on its 33 missions and entered the record books. Nasas final space shuttle mission comes to an end history. Shuttle patch space shuttle mission patches the space. Nasas pioneering reusable space transportation system sts was in operation for 30 years. The last space shuttle flight, the 5th, was launched on july 8, 2011. Sts1 was the first shuttle flight in the space shuttle program. The space shuttle program a program that defined a generation.

Space shuttle mission 2007tm is the newest, most exciting and affordable space shuttle simulator available today, designed to provide the experience and excitement of the nasa space shuttle missions of orbital space exploration in extreme detail. The space shuttle program was the fourth human spaceflight program carried out by the national aeronautics and space administration nasa, which accomplished routine transportation for earthtoorbit crew and cargo from 1981 to 2011. Nasas space shuttle program officially ends after final. The orbiter vehicle used in the mission sts1, shuttle columbia, spent a record 610 days in the orbiter processing facility opf before launch to replace many of its heat shield tiles. Nasa, spacex set may 27 as target date for first crew. Born in 1968 at the height of the apollo program, the space shuttle was designed to fulfill two basic roles in nasa postapollo manned flight objectives. Oct 21, 20 read cnn s space shuttle program fast facts for a look at the nasa program, which ended in 2011 after 5 missions.

The program was announced in 1993, the first mission started in 1994 and the project continued until its scheduled completion in 1998. But for now, heres a look back at the most memorable missions of the space shuttles tenure. Beginning the constellation program meant transferring people that were working space shuttle andor iss to constellation. Nasas space shuttle fleet began setting records with its first launch on april 12, 1981 and continued to set high marks of achievement and endurance through 30 years of missions. Jul 21, 2011 nasas pioneering reusable space transportation system sts was in operation for 30 years. List of space shuttle missions national aeronautics and. Its official program name was space transportation system sts, taken from. The mission was devoted entirely to spacelab l, a joint nasaeuropean space agency program designed to demonstrate the ability to conduct advanced scientific research in space, with astronauts and payload specialists working in the spacelab module and coordinating their efforts with scientists at the marshall payload operations control center then located at the johnson space center. Jul 21, 2011 nasa is retiring the space shuttle fleet to make way for a new exploration program aimed at sending astronauts on deep space missions to an asteroid and, eventually, mars.

The space shuttle discovery launched on its sts31 mission on april 24, 1990 at 8. Nasas final space shuttle mission comes to an end on this day in 2011, nasas space shuttle program completes its final, and 5th, mission, when the shuttle atlantis lands at kennedy space. Timeline of the shuttle program us space shuttle program. This was the 35th shuttle mission to the station and the final flight of discovery. The history of the national space transportation system the first 100 missions. The laboratory comprised multiple components, including a pressurized module, an unpressurized carrier and other related hardware housed in the shuttles cargo bay. Commander hoot gibson and pilot guy gardner flew the approach, while mission specialist mike mullane, at the other end of the flight deck, readied the shuttle s robot arm for a capture. Space shuttle program official mission complete commemorative bronze medallionofficial nasa mission complete medallion in antique bronze contains flown metal. Nasas storied space shuttle program has seen some amazing highs, and a couple devastating lows over the course of its 30year history. History of the space shuttle includes general information, technical information, publications, and information about specific missions.

Mar, 2020 space shuttle flights resumed on july 26, 2005, with the launch of discovery. Nasa selects 9 astronauts for first crewed boeing, spacex. Spacelab was a reusable laboratory developed by esa and used on certain spaceflights flown by the space shuttle. Ten years after the challenger disaster, two large pieces from the spacecraft washed ashore on a florida beach.

Mercury gemini apollo skylab apollosoyuz test project space shuttle others. Space exploration space exploration the space shuttle. The space shuttle orbiter is the spaceplane component of the space shuttle, a partially reusable orbital spacecraft system that was part of the space shuttle program. For missions flown by the soviet buran spacecraft, sometimes referred to as a space shuttle, see list of buran missions. The space shuttle was essential for completing the iss, but would not be helpful for the new program called constellation that would take us out of. The shuttle an interactive site from nasa that provides an overview of the shuttle program, a timeline, videos, and more. In the aftermath of the columbia disaster, the space shuttle program was grounded until july 26, 2005, when the space shuttle discovery was launched on the program s 114th mission. Sts51l was the tenth mission to be conducted on the challenger space shuttle, but a failed rocket booster led to the shuttle s disintegration and. The final space shuttle mission, sts5, ended july 21, 2011 when atlantis rolled to a stop at its home port, nasas kennedy space center in. For missions flown by the soviet buran spacecraft, sometimes referred to as a space. The first 100 missions is one of the most amazing technical books on space vehicles ever printed. Its official program name was space transportation system sts, taken from a 1969 plan for a system of reusable spacecraft of which it was the only item funded for development. Crippen were onboard sts1, the first orbital flight of the space shuttle program.

Apollo space program apollo missions space rocket space and astronomy nasa space space shuttle space station space travel space exploration what others are saying nasa this looked like it was made of tin foil and straws and yet it took man to the moon and back, and even saved lives during the apollo mission. Also in the 1990s, the space shuttle launched the hubble telescope into space. President nixons 1972 announcement on the space shuttle. The future of space exploration through the space shuttle program may provide humanity with the answers to questions of their past and destiny. A decade in the making, nasa and spacex have set may 27 as the target launch date for the first crewed space mission to launch into orbit from u. The space shuttle is a partially reusable low earth orbital spacecraft system that was operated from 1981 to 2011 by the u. With the final shuttle mission to launch july 8, now is as good a time as any to ask. Nasa medallions the space store has several unique and limited in number released medallions. At first, the launches were given sequential numbers indicating order of launch.

List of space shuttle missions wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Space shuttle exploration mission collectibles for sale ebay. Even though the shuttle program has suffered two tremendous disasters, its dozens of successful missions have made great strides in space travel and exploration during its short history. Specific shuttle missions were therefore designated with the prefix sts. Space shuttle simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. All major systems of the shuttle were successfully tested during sts1. May 30, 2011 from the shuttle columbia and challenger disasters to the launch of hubble and the building of the international space station, here are the highlights and most memorable missions from the 30. Soon, the worlds first reusable spacecraft will retire to make way for nasas next phase. Three spacecraft survive in retirement as specimens in museums around the country. This document is an exact hypertexting of the nsts news reference manual that was handed out to the press in september 1988. National aeronautics and space administration nasa as part of the space shuttle program. Nasas space shuttle was unlike any other spacecraft built during the 30.

Naming in the us space shuttle sts program the shuttle is officially referred to as the. As of 2008, only the united states has flown human spaceflight shuttle missions, in the space shuttle program, while the soviet union flew one unmanned flight of the buran. Feb 02, 2017 the latter all already worked for nasa on the space shuttle and iss programs. The shuttlemir missions were all space shuttle missions, and are also counted under the space shuttle program missions in the table. Space shuttle quotes commitment to the space shuttle program is the right step for america to take, in. You can also view archives of the 5 missions of the worlds first reusable spacecraft.