The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program.

Apr 9, 2025 · 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.

Sep 9, 2020 · Want to see a real-life space shuttle? Here's where to get your NASA shuttle fix in museums across the United States.

Mar 11, 2025 · Below you’ll find a guide to each of the Space Shuttle locations around the U.S.; today you can visit five shuttles, three of which flew to space during the almost 30 years of NASA’s Shuttle program.

Jul 20, 2025 · Space shuttle, partially reusable rocket-launched vehicle designed to go into orbit around Earth, to transport people and cargo to and from orbiting spacecraft, and to glide to a runway landing on its return to Earth’s surface. It was developed by NASA and made 135 spaceflights between 1981 and 2011.

Sep 6, 2023 · It was the fourth human spaceflight program carried out by the United States and NASA. The Space Shuttle, officially known as the Space Transportation System (STS), was the first reusable spacecraft to carry humans into orbit.

The first goal of the Space Shuttle program was to provide NASA with an efficient, re-usable method of carrying astronauts to and from a permanently manned space station.