ABOUT SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
The Space Shuttle was NASA’s partially reusable crewed orbital spacecraft system that flew 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. It consisted of an orbiter with three main engines, two solid rocket boosters, and an external fuel tank. The Shuttle built the International Space Station, deployed the Hubble Space Telescope, and carried over 350 astronauts to orbit.
NOTABLE MISSIONS
| 🚀 STS-1 u2013 First flight |
| 🚀 STS-31 u2013 Hubble deployment |
| 🚀 STS-51-L u2013 Challenger disaster |
| 🚀 STS-107 u2013 Columbia disaster |
| 🚀 STS-135 u2013 Final mission |
LEGACY & LASTING IMPACT
Proved reusable spaceflight possible, built the ISS, but two tragic losses reshaped safety culture
PROGRAM DETAILS
| Category | Program |
| Era | Shuttle Era |
| Agency | NASA |
| Country | United States |
| Start Date | 1981-04-12 |
| End Date | 2011-07-21 |
| Total Flights | 135 |
| Success Rate | 98.5% |
| Successor | Commercial Crew Program |
PROGRAM COST
| Original Cost | $196 billion |
| Inflation-Adjusted | $230 billion (2020) |
KEY FIGURES
TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPED
🚀 RELATED VEHICLES
