Space Shuttle: NASA’s Reusable Spaceplane

The Space Shuttle was the world’s first reusable spacecraft, launched by NASA in 1981.
It consisted of an orbiter, two solid rocket boosters, and a large external fuel tank.
Five orbiters were built: Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour.
Shuttles carried astronauts and cargo into orbit, including satellites and science labs.
They were vital in building and servicing the International Space Station.
The Hubble Space Telescope was launched and repaired by shuttle crews.
Each orbiter could be reused for dozens of missions, a groundbreaking innovation.
The program lasted 30 years, with 135 missions flown between 1981 and 2011.
Tragedies struck with Challenger in 1986 and Columbia in 2003, costing 14 astronauts’ lives.
The shuttle remains an icon of human spaceflight, blending rocket and airplane design.