Space Shuttle Program

NASA began making plans for reusable spacecraft in 1969 and led to the Space Transportation System from 1981-2011. The Enterprise was the first Space Shuttle spacecraft. It did not have engines or a heat shield, so it did not go to space. It was only used for test flights. Its first test flight was in 1977. Enterprise separates from the shuttle carrier. On April 12, 1981 Space Shuttle Columbia launched into space. In 1990, Discovery deployed the Hubble Space Telescope. Then, in 1998, Space Shuttle Endeavor connected the first American node.  A few years later, in 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas after reentering earth’s atmosphere. The final space shuttle mission was performed by Atlantis in 2011. The shuttle carried supplies for the International Space Station.  This is a computer generated image of Atlantis docked onto the International Space Station. Its purpose was to provide NASA with an efficient, reusable method of carrying astronauts to and from a permanently manned space station. There were about 135 missions.