The Space Shuttle is a partially reusable spacecraft system operated by NASA from 1981 to 2011, combining a winged orbiter, external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters. It was the first spacecraft capable of carrying humans into orbit and returning to Earth to fly again, and it was used to launch satellites and interplanetary probes, service the Hubble Space Telescope, and build and supply the International Space Station.
Facts
SignificanceFirst operational orbital spacecraft designed for reuse, flying 135 missions from 1981 to 2011 that launched satellites and probes, deployed the Hubble Space Telescope, and helped build and service the International Space Station. 1 Manufacturer or BuilderNorth American Rockwell 1 Connections
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Space Shuttle
WikipediaDesign and development, orbiter contract award
The following August, NASA awarded the contract to build the orbiter to North American Rockwell, which had by then constructed a full-scale mock-up, later named Inspiration.
Introduction, second paragraph
Operational missions launched numerous satellites, interplanetary probes, and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), conducted science experiments in orbit, participated in the Shuttle-Mir program with Russia, and participated in the construction and servicing of the International Space Station (ISS).
Introduction, second paragraph, STS-1 first flight
The first (STS-1) of four orbital test flights occurred in 1981, leading to operational flights (STS-5) beginning in 1982.
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