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Space shuttles Endeavour and Discovery meet in a "nose-to-nose" photo opportunity

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 and 135 missions. Starting with Columbia and continuing with Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour, the spacecraft has carried people into orbit repeatedly, launched, recovered and repaired satellites, conducted cutting-edge research and built the largest structure in space, the International Space Station. The final space shuttle mission, STS-135, ended July 21, 2011 when Atlantis rolled to a stop at its home port, NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

STS-125 Atlantis return KSC 01

Space Shuttle Atlantis piggybacking the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA)

As humanity's first reusable spacecraft, the space shuttle pushed the bounds of discovery ever farther, requiring not only advanced technologies but the tremendous effort of a vast workforce. Thousands of civil servants and contractors throughout NASA's field centers and across the nation have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to mission success and the greater goal of space exploration.

All above came from nasa.gov/shuttle[1]

External resources[]

  • Freely downloadable (i.e. public) open-source simulation of the Space Shuttle that runs on desktop PCs. Uses aerospace research and development sim FlightGear's flight dynamics engine (JSBSim), which is used in a 2015 NASA benchmark to judge new simulation code to the standards of the space industry. Most detailed simulation of the Space Shuttle outside of NASA's internal ones [2][3][4][5] Can be flown directly by Shuttle Crew Operations Manual (SCOM) and supports detailed failure simulation. Videos. (To access: install FlightGear core (~2GB download) and select NASA Space Shuttle from launcher's craft browser. Quick starts are available: In orbit, near ISS, piggyback on carrier with detached glide, middle of re-entry (TAEM), on approach to land (trainer), ready for launch with minimal work. See manual in wiki page, and Earthview orbital renderer HD textures & options.)
  • NASA resources for media (assorted)

References[]

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