Space Shuttle

In-active Human Rated Spaceplane Crew Capacity: 7 Payload Capacity: 27500 kg Diameter: 8.7 m Height: 56.1 m

()

April 12, 1981

Carrying a crew of 7 astronauts along with cargo to Low Earth Orbit.

Flight Life

14 days

Description

The Space Shuttle was a partially reusable LEO spacecraft system operated by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program name was Space Transportation System (STS), taken from a 1969 plan for a system of reusable spacecraft of which it was the only item funded for development. The first of four orbital test flights occurred in 1981, leading to operational flights in 1982. In addition to the prototype whose completion was cancelled, five complete Shuttle systems were built and used on a total of 135 missions from 1981 to 2011, launched from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Operational missions launched numerous satellites, interplanetary probes, and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST); conducted science experiments in orbit; and participated in construction and servicing of the International Space Station. The Shuttle fleet's total mission time was 1322 days, 19 hours, 21 minutes and 23 seconds.

History

The Space shuttle was a United States space craft. Following the conclusion of the Apollo program the Space Shuttle intended to lower costs for reliable access to Low Earth Orbit. The program ran from 1981-2011.



Long March 6A
Success
1 day, 11 hours ago
Yunhai 3-02
Launch Complex 9A - Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Chinese satellite reported for atmospheric/ocean/environmental/spatial parameter research purposes, details TBD.


Falcon 9
Success
2 days, 10 hours ago
Starlink Group 6-46
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral, FL, USA

A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
4 days, 6 hours ago
Starlink Group 6-42
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Soyuz 2.1a
Success
4 days, 21 hours ago
Soyuz MS-25
31/6 - Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan

Soyuz MS-25 will carry two cosmonauts and one astronaut to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome i…


Falcon 9
Success
6 days, 13 hours ago
Dragon CRS-2 SpX-30
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral, FL, USA

30th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station operated by SpaceX. The flight will be conducted under the second Commer…


Electron
Success
1 week ago
Live and Let Fly (NROL-123)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 (Launch Area 0 C) - Wallops Island, Virginia, USA

Mission for the National Reconnaissance Office.


Long March 2D/YZ-3
Success
1 week ago
Yunhai-2 Group 02
Launch Area 4 (SLS-2 / 603) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Yunhai-2 is a constellation of Chinese military meteorological satellites. Reportedly the satellites use Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)…


Long March 8
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Queqiao-2
201 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

Queqiao-2 is a Chinese artificial satellite to serve as a communications relay for future Chinese lunar far side missions that cannot communicate dir…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
Starlink Group 7-16
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 22 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 5 days ago
Starlink Group 6-44
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.