The Space Shuttle was a partially reusable spacecraft system operated by NASA from 1981 to 2011. It consisted of an orbiter with three main engines, two solid rocket boosters, and an external tank containing liquid hydrogen and oxygen. The shuttle was launched vertically and landed horizontally like a glider, enabling the reuse of the orbiter for multiple missions.
Over its 30-year operational life, the Space Shuttle program conducted 135 missions, including deploying satellites, conducting scientific experiments, and contributing to the construction and servicing of the International Space Station (ISS). However, the program also faced significant tragedies, notably the Challenger disaster in 1986 and the Columbia disaster in 2003, resulting in the loss of 14 astronauts.
The Space Shuttle program concluded with the retirement of the orbiters following Atlantis’s final flight on July 21, 2011. Since then, NASA has relied on other spacecraft, such as SpaceX’s Crew Dragon and Boeing’s Starliner, to transport astronauts to and from the ISS.
In recent news, NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have returned to Earth after spending approximately nine months aboard the ISS. Their mission was extended due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, leading to their eventual return aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule.