The Space Shuttle was a partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated by NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration). 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. [1] Operational missions launched numerous satellites, conducted science experiments in orbit, and participated in construction and servicing of the International Space Station (ISS). The first of four orbital test flights occurred in 1981, leading to operational flights beginning in 1982.
From 1981 to 2011 a total of 135 missions were flown, all launched from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. During that time period the fleet logged 1,322 days, 19 hours, 21 minutes and 23 seconds of flight time. [2] The longest orbital flight of the Shuttle was STS-80 at 17 days 15 hours, while the shortest flight was STS-51-L at one minute 13 seconds when the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart during launch. The cold morning shrunk an O-Ring on the right Solid Rocket Booster causing the external fuel tank to explode. The shuttles docked with Russian space station Mir nine times and visited the ISS thirty-seven times. The highest altitude (apogee) achieved by the shuttle was 386 mi (621 km) when deploying the Hubble Space Telescope. [3] The program flew a total of 355 people representing 16 countries, and with 852 total shuttle fliers. [4] The Kennedy Space Center served as the landing site for 78 missions, while 54 missions landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California and one mission landed at White Sands, New Mexico. [5]
The first orbiter built, Enterprise , was used for atmospheric flight tests (ALT) but future plans to upgrade it to orbital capability were ultimately canceled. Four fully operational orbiters were initially built: Columbia , Challenger , Discovery , and Atlantis . Challenger and Columbia were destroyed in mission accidents in 1986 and 2003 respectively, killing a total of fourteen astronauts. A fifth operational orbiter, Endeavour , was built in 1991 to replace Challenger. The Space Shuttle was retired from service upon the conclusion of STS-135 by Atlantis on 21 July 2011. [6]
The U.S. Space Shuttle program was officially referred to as the Space Transportation System (STS). Specific shuttle missions were therefore designated with the prefix "STS". [2] Initially, the launches were given sequential numbers indicating order of launch, such as STS-7. Subsequent to the Apollo 13 mishap, due to Administrator of NASA James M. Beggs's triskaidekaphobia and consequent unwillingness to number a forthcoming flight as STS-13, [7] [8] [9] [10] beginning in 1984, each mission was assigned a code, such as STS-41-B, with the first digit (or pair of digits for years 1990 and beyond) indicating the federal fiscal year offset into the program (so 41-B was scheduled for FY 1984, 51-A thru 51-L originally for FY 1985, and the third flight in FY 1995 would have been named 151-C), the second digit indicating the launch site (1 was Kennedy Space Center and 2 was Space Launch Complex 6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, although Vandenberg was never used), and the letter indicating scheduling sequence. [11] These codes were assigned when the launches were initially scheduled and were not changed as missions were delayed or rescheduled. [6] The codes were adopted from STS-41-B through STS-51-L (although the highest code used was actually STS-61-C), and the sequential numbers were used internally at NASA on all processing paperwork.
After the Challenger disaster, NASA returned to using a sequential numbering system, with the number counting from the beginning of the STS program. Unlike the initial system, however, the numbers were assigned based on the initial mission schedule, and did not always reflect actual launch order. This numbering scheme started at 26, with the first flight as STS-26R—the R suffix stood for "reflight" to disambiguate from prior missions. The suffix was used for two years through STS-33R, then the R was dropped. [6] As a result of the changes in systems, flights under different numbering systems could have the same number with one having a letter appended, e.g. flight STS-51 (a mission carried out by Discovery in 1993) was many years after STS-51-A (Discovery's second flight in 1984). [6] It wasn't until STS-127 in 2009 where the flight numbering system returned to a standard and consistent order.
The Approach and Landing Test program encompassed 16 separate tests of Enterprise, covering taxi tests, uncrewed and crewed flights on the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), and finally the free flight tests. The following list includes the free-flight tests, durations listed count only the orbiter free-flight time. The list does not include total time aloft along with airborne time atop of the SCA.
Order | Launch date | Mission | Shuttle | Crew | Duration | Landing site | Notes | Refs. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 12 August 1977 | ALT-12 ![]() | Enterprise | 2 | 00 h 05 m | Edwards |
| [12] [13] [14] [15] |
2 | 13 September 1977 | ALT-13 ![]() | Enterprise | 2 | 00 h 05 m | Edwards |
| [12] [13] |
3 | 23 September 1977 | ALT-14 ![]() | Enterprise | 2 | 00 h 05 m | Edwards |
| [12] [13] |
4 | 12 October 1977 | ALT-15 ![]() | Enterprise | 2 | 00 h 02 m | Edwards |
| [12] [13] [15] [16] |
5 | 26 October 1977 | ALT-16 ![]() | Enterprise | 2 | 00 h 02 m | Edwards |
| [12] [13] [17] |
Order | Launch date | Mission | Shuttle | Crew [lower-alpha 1] | Duration | Launch pad | Landing site | Notes | Refs. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 12 April 1981 12:00:04 UTC 07:00:04 EST | STS-1 ![]() | Columbia | 2 | 02d 06h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [18] [19] [20] |
2 | 12 November 1981 15:10:00 UTC 10:10:00 EST | STS-2 ![]() | Columbia | 2 | 02d 06h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [21] [22] [23] |
3 | 22 March 1982 16:00:00 UTC 11:00:00 EST | STS-3 ![]() | Columbia | 2 | 08d 00h | LC-39A | White Sands |
| [24] [25] [26] |
4 | 27 June 1982 15:00:00 UTC 11:00:00 EDT | STS-4 ![]() | Columbia | 2 | 07d 01h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [27] [28] [29] [30] |
5 | 11 November 1982 12:19:00 UTC 07:19:00 EST | STS-5 ![]() | Columbia | 4 | 05d 02h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [31] [32] [33] [34] |
6 | 4 April 1983 18:30:00 UTC 13:30:00 EST | STS-6 ![]() | Challenger | 4 | 05d 00h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [35] [36] |
7 | 18 June 1983 11:33:00 UTC 07:33:00 EDT | STS-7 ![]() | Challenger | 5 | 06d 02h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [37] [38] |
8 | 30 August 1983 06:32:00 UTC 02:32:00 EDT | STS-8 ![]() | Challenger | 5 | 06d 01h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [39] [40] |
9 | 28 November 1983 16:00:00 UTC 11:00:00 EST | STS-9 ![]() | Columbia | 6 | 10d 07h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [41] [42] |
10 | 3 February 1984 13:00:00 UTC 08:00:00 EST | STS-41-B ![]() | Challenger | 5 | 07d 23h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [43] [44] |
11 | 6 April 1984 13:58:00 UTC 08:58:00 EST | STS-41-C ![]() | Challenger | 5 | 06d 23h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [45] [46] [47] |
12 | 30 August 1984 12:41:50 UTC 08:41:50 EDT | STS-41-D ![]() | Discovery | 6 | 06d 00h | LC-39A | Edwards | [48] [49] | |
13 | 5 October 1984 11:03:00 UTC 07:03:00 EDT | STS-41-G ![]() | Challenger | 7 | 08d 05h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [50] [51] |
14 | 8 November 1984 12:15:00 UTC 07:15:00 EST | STS-51-A ![]() | Discovery | 5 | 07d 23h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF | [52] [53] | |
15 | 24 January 1985 19:50:00 UTC 14:50:00 EST | STS-51-C ![]() | Discovery | 5 | 03d 01h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [28] [54] [55] |
16 | 12 April 1985 13:59:05 UTC 08:59:05 EST | STS-51-D ![]() | Discovery | 7 | 06d 23h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [56] [57] |
17 | 29 April 1985 16:02:18 UTC 12:02:18 EDT | STS-51-B ![]() | Challenger | 7 | 07d 00h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [58] [59] |
18 | 17 June 1985 11:33:00 UTC 07:33:00 EDT | STS-51-G ![]() | Discovery | 7 | 07d 01h | LC-39A | Edwards | [60] [61] | |
19 | 29 July 1985 22:00:00 UTC 18:00:00 EDT | STS-51-F ![]() | Challenger | 7 | 07d 22h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [62] [63] |
20 | 27 August 1985 10:58:01 UTC 06:58:01 EDT | STS-51-I ![]() | Discovery | 5 | 07d 02h | LC-39A | Edwards | [64] [65] | |
21 | 3 October 1985 15:15:30 UTC 11:15:30 EDT | STS-51-J ![]() | Atlantis | 5 | 04d 01h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [28] [66] [67] |
22 | 30 October 1985 17:00:00 UTC 12:00:00 EST | STS-61-A ![]() | Challenger | 8 | 07d 00h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [68] [69] |
23 | 26 November 1985 24:29:00 UTC 19:29:00 EST | STS-61-B ![]() | Atlantis | 7 | 06d 21h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [70] [71] |
24 | 12 January 1986 11:55:00 UTC 06:55:00 EST | STS-61-C ![]() | Columbia | 7 | 06d 02h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [72] [73] |
25 | 28 January 1986 16:38:00 UTC 11:38:00 EST | STS-51-L ![]() | Challenger | 7 | 00d 00h 01m 13s | LC-39B | Did not land [lower-alpha 2] |
| [74] [75] |
26 | 29 September 1988 15:37:00 UTC 11:37:00 EDT | STS-26 ![]() | Discovery | 5 | 04d 01h | LC-39B | Edwards |
| [76] [77] |
27 | 2 December 1988 14:30:34 UTC 09:30:34 EST | STS-27 ![]() | Atlantis | 5 | 04d 09h | LC-39B | Edwards |
| [28] [78] [79] [80] |
28 | 13 March 1989 14:57:00 UTC 09:57:00 EST | STS-29 ![]() | Discovery | 5 | 04d 23h | LC-39B | Edwards | [81] [82] | |
29 | 4 May 1989 18:46:59 UTC 14:46:59 EDT | STS-30 ![]() | Atlantis | 5 | 04d 00h | LC-39B | Edwards |
| [83] [84] |
30 | 8 August 1989 12:37:00 UTC 08:37:00 EDT | STS-28 ![]() | Columbia | 5 | 05d 01h | LC-39B | Edwards |
| [28] [85] [86] |
31 | 18 October 1989 16:53:40 UTC 12:53:40 EDT | STS-34 ![]() | Atlantis | 5 | 04d 23h | LC-39B | Edwards | [87] [88] | |
32 | 22 November 1989 24:23:30 UTC 19:23:30 EST | STS-33 ![]() | Discovery | 5 | 05d 00h | LC-39B | Edwards |
| [28] [89] [90] [91] |
33 | 9 January 1990 12:35:00 UTC 07:35:00 EST | STS-32 ![]() | Columbia | 5 | 10d 21h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [92] [93] |
34 | 28 February 1990 07:50:22 UTC 02:50:22 EST | STS-36 ![]() | Atlantis | 5 | 04d 10h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [28] [94] [95] |
35 | 24 April 1990 12:33:51 UTC 08:33:51 EDT | STS-31 ![]() | Discovery | 5 | 05d 01h | LC-39B | Edwards |
| [96] [97] |
36 | 6 October 1990 11:47:15 UTC 07:47:15 EDT | STS-41 ![]() | Discovery | 5 | 04d 02h | LC-39B | Edwards |
| [98] [99] |
37 | 15 November 1990 23:48:15 UTC 18:48:15 EST | STS-38 ![]() | Atlantis | 5 | 04d 21h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF | [28] [100] [101] | |
38 | 2 December 1990 06:49:01 UTC 01:49:01 EST | STS-35 ![]() | Columbia | 7 | 08d 23h | LC-39B | Edwards |
| [102] [103] |
39 | 5 April 1991 14:22:45 UTC 09:22:45 EST | STS-37 ![]() | Atlantis | 5 | 05d 23h | LC-39B | Edwards |
| [104] [105] |
40 | 28 April 1991 11:33:14 UTC 07:33:14 EDT | STS-39 ![]() | Discovery | 7 | 08d 07h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [28] [106] [107] |
41 | 5 June 1991 13:24:51 UTC 09:24:51 EDT | STS-40 ![]() | Columbia | 7 | 09d 02h | LC-39B | Edwards |
| [108] [109] |
42 | 2 August 1991 15:02:00 UTC 11:02:00 EDT | STS-43 ![]() | Atlantis | 5 | 08d 21h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [110] [111] |
43 | 12 September 1991 23:11:04 UTC 19:11:04 EDT | STS-48 ![]() | Discovery | 5 | 05d 08h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [112] [113] |
44 | 24 November 1991 23:44:00 UTC 18:44:00 EST | STS-44 ![]() | Atlantis | 6 | 06d 22h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [114] [115] |
45 | 22 January 1992 14:52:33 UTC 09:52:33 EST | STS-42 ![]() | Discovery | 7 | 08d 01h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [116] [117] |
46 | 24 March 1992 13:13:40 UTC 08:13:40 EST | STS-45 ![]() | Atlantis | 7 | 08d 22h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [118] [119] |
47 | 7 May 1992 23:40:00 UTC 19:40:00 EDT | STS-49 ![]() | Endeavour | 7 | 08d 21h | LC-39B | Edwards |
| [120] [121] |
48 | 25 June 1992 16:12:23 UTC 12:12:23 EDT | STS-50 ![]() | Columbia | 7 | 13d 19h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [122] [123] |
49 | 31 July 1992 13:56:48 UTC 09:56:48 EDT | STS-46 ![]() | Atlantis | 7 | 07d 23h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [124] [125] |
50 | 12 September 1992 14:23:00 UTC 10:23:00 EDT | STS-47 ![]() | Endeavour | 7 | 07d 22h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [126] [127] |
51 | 22 October 1992 17:09:39 UTC 13:09:39 EDT | STS-52 ![]() | Columbia | 6 | 09d 20h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [128] [129] |
52 | 2 December 1992 13:24:00 UTC 08:24:00 EST | STS-53 ![]() | Discovery | 5 | 07d 07h | LC-39A | Edwards | [28] [130] [131] | |
53 | 13 January 1993 13:59:30 UTC 08:59:30 EST | STS-54 ![]() | Endeavour | 5 | 05d 23h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [132] [133] |
54 | 8 April 1993 05:29:00 UTC 01:29:00 EDT | STS-56 ![]() | Discovery | 5 | 09d 06h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [134] [135] |
55 | 26 April 1993 14:50:00 UTC 10:50:00 EDT | STS-55 ![]() | Columbia | 7 | 09d 23h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [136] [137] |
56 | 21 June 1993 13:07:22 UTC 09:07:22 EDT | STS-57 ![]() | Endeavour | 6 | 09d 23h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF | [138] [139] | |
57 | 12 September 1993 11:45:00 UTC 07:45:00 EDT | STS-51 ![]() | Discovery | 5 | 09d 20h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF | [140] [141] | |
58 | 18 October 1993 14:53:10 UTC 10:53:10 EDT | STS-58 ![]() | Columbia | 7 | 14d 00h | LC-39B | Edwards |
| [142] [143] |
59 | 2 December 1993 09:27:00 UTC 04:27:00 EST | STS-61 ![]() | Endeavour | 7 | 10d 19h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [144] [145] |
60 | 3 February 1994 12:10:00 UTC 07:10:00 EST | STS-60 ![]() | Discovery | 6 | 07d 06h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [146] [147] |
61 | 4 March 1994 13:53:00 UTC 08:53:00 EST | STS-62 ![]() | Columbia | 5 | 13d 23h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [148] [149] |
62 | 9 April 1994 11:05:00 UTC 07:05:00 EDT | STS-59 ![]() | Endeavour | 6 | 11d 05h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [150] [151] |
63 | 8 July 1994 04:43:00 UTC 00:43:00 EDT | STS-65 ![]() | Columbia | 7 | 14d 17h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [152] [153] |
64 | 9 September 1994 22:22:05 UTC 18:22:05 EDT | STS-64 ![]() | Discovery | 6 | 10d 22h | LC-39B | Edwards |
| [154] [155] |
65 | 30 September 1994 11:16:00 UTC 07:16:00 EDT | STS-68 ![]() | Endeavour | 6 | 11d 05h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [156] [157] |
66 | 3 November 1994 16:59:43 UTC 11:59:43 EST | STS-66 ![]() | Atlantis | 6 | 10d 22h | LC-39B | Edwards |
| [158] [159] |
67 | 3 February 1995 05:22:04 UTC 00:22:04 EST | STS-63 ![]() | Discovery | 6 | 08d 06h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [160] [161] |
68 | 2 March 1995 06:38:13 UTC 01:38:13 EST | STS-67 ![]() | Endeavour | 7 | 16d 15h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [162] [163] |
69 | 27 June 1995 19:32:19 UTC 15:32:19 EDT | STS-71 ![]() | Atlantis | 7/8 | 09d 19h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [164] [165] |
70 | 13 July 1995 13:41:55 UTC 09:41:55 EDT | STS-70 ![]() | Discovery | 5 | 08d 22h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [166] [167] |
71 | 7 September 1995 15:09:00 UTC 11:09:00 EDT | STS-69 ![]() | Endeavour | 5 | 10d 20h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [168] [169] |
72 | 20 October 1995 13:53:00 UTC 09:53:00 EDT | STS-73 ![]() | Columbia | 7 | 15d 21h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [170] [171] |
73 | 12 November 1995 12:30:43 UTC 07:30:43 EST | STS-74 ![]() | Atlantis | 5 | 08d 04h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF | [172] [173] | |
74 | 11 January 1996 09:41:00 UTC 04:41:00 EST | STS-72 ![]() | Endeavour | 6 | 08d 22h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [174] [175] |
75 | 22 February 1996 20:18:00 UTC 15:18:00 EST | STS-75 ![]() | Columbia | 7 | 15d 17h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [176] [177] |
76 | 22 March 1996 08:13:04 UTC 03:13:04 EST | STS-76 ![]() | Atlantis | 6/5 | 09d 05h | LC-39B | Edwards |
| [178] [179] |
77 | 19 May 1996 10:30:00 UTC 06:30:00 EDT | STS-77 ![]() | Endeavour | 6 | 10d 00h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [180] [181] |
78 | 20 June 1996 14:49:00 UTC 10:49:00 EDT | STS-78 ![]() | Columbia | 7 | 16d 21h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [182] [183] |
79 | 16 September 1996 08:54:49 UTC 04:54:49 EDT | STS-79 ![]() | Atlantis | 6/6 | 10d 03h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [184] [185] |
80 | 19 November 1996 19:55:47 UTC 14:55:47 EST | STS-80 ![]() | Columbia | 5 | 17d 15h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [186] [187] |
81 | 12 January 1997 09:27:23 UTC 04:27:23 EST | STS-81 ![]() | Atlantis | 6/6 | 10d 04h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [188] [189] |
82 | 11 February 1997 08:55:17 UTC 03:55:17 EST | STS-82 ![]() | Discovery | 7 | 09d 23h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [190] [191] |
83 | 4 April 1997 19:20:32 UTC 14:20:32 EST | STS-83 ![]() | Columbia | 7 | 03d 23h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [192] [193] |
84 | 15 May 1997 08:07:48 UTC 04:07:48 EDT | STS-84 ![]() | Atlantis | 7/7 | 09d 05h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [194] [195] |
85 | 1 July 1997 18:02:00 UTC 14:02:00 EDT | STS-94 ![]() | Columbia | 7 | 15d 16h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [196] [197] |
86 | 7 August 1997 14:41:00 UTC 10:41:00 EDT | STS-85 ![]() | Discovery | 6 | 11d 20h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [198] [199] |
87 | 25 September 1997 14:34:19 UTC 10:34:19 EDT | STS-86 ![]() | Atlantis | 7/7 | 10d 19h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [200] [201] |
88 | 19 November 1997 19:46:00 UTC 14:46:00 EST | STS-87 ![]() | Columbia | 6 | 15d 16h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [202] [203] |
89 | 22 January 1998 02:48:15 UTC [lower-alpha 3] 21:48:15 EST | STS-89 ![]() | Endeavour | 7/7 | 08d 19h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [204] [205] |
90 | 17 April 1998 18:19:00 UTC 14:19:00 EDT | STS-90 ![]() | Columbia | 7 | 15d 21h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [206] [207] |
91 | 2 June 1998 22:06:24 UTC 18:06:24 EDT | STS-91 ![]() | Discovery | 6/7 | 09d 19h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [208] [209] |
92 | 29 October 1998 19:19:34 UTC 14:19:34 EST | STS-95 ![]() | Discovery | 7 | 08d 21h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [210] [211] |
93 | 4 December 1998 08:35:34 UTC 03:35:34 EST | STS-88 ![]() | Endeavour | 6 | 11d 19h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [212] [213] |
94 | 27 May 1999 10:49:42 UTC 06:49:42 EDT | STS-96 ![]() | Discovery | 7 | 09d 19h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [214] [215] |
95 | 23 July 1999 04:31:00 UTC 00:31:00 EDT | STS-93 ![]() | Columbia | 5 | 04d 22h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [216] [217] |
96 | 19 December 1999 00:50:00 UTC [lower-alpha 3] 19:50:00 EST | STS-103 ![]() | Discovery | 7 | 07d 23h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [218] [219] |
97 | 11 February 2000 16:43:40 UTC 12:43:40 EDT | STS-99 ![]() | Endeavour | 6 | 11d 05h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF | [220] [221] | |
98 | 19 May 2000 10:11:10 UTC 06:11:10 EDT | STS-101 ![]() | Atlantis | 7 | 09d 21h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [222] [223] |
99 | 8 September 2000 12:45:47 UTC 08:45:47 EDT | STS-106 ![]() | Atlantis | 7 | 11d 19h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [224] [225] |
100 | 11 October 2000 23:17:00 UTC 18:17:00 EST | STS-92 ![]() | Discovery | 7 | 12d 21h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [226] [227] |
101 | 30 November 2000 03:06:01 UTC [lower-alpha 3] 22:06:01 EST | STS-97 ![]() | Endeavour | 5 | 10d 19h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [228] [229] |
102 | 7 February 2001 23:13:02 UTC 18:13:02 EST | STS-98 ![]() | Atlantis | 5 | 12d 21h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [230] [231] |
103 | 8 March 2001 11:42:09 UTC 06:42:09 EST | STS-102 ![]() | Discovery | 7/7 | 12d 19h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [232] [233] |
104 | 19 April 2001 18:40:42 UTC 14:40:42 EDT | STS-100 ![]() | Endeavour | 7 | 11d 21h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [234] [235] |
105 | 12 July 2001 09:03:59 UTC 05:03:59 EDT | STS-104 ![]() | Atlantis | 5 | 12d 18h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [236] [237] |
106 | 10 August 2001 21:10:14 UTC 17:10:14 EDT | STS-105 ![]() | Discovery | 7/7 | 11d 21h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [238] [239] |
107 | 5 December 2001 22:19:28 UTC 17:19:28 EST | STS-108 ![]() | Endeavour | 7/7 | 11d 19h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [240] [241] |
108 | 1 March 2002 11:22:02 UTC 06:22:02 EST | STS-109 ![]() | Columbia | 7 | 10d 22h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [242] [243] |
109 | 8 April 2002 20:44:19 UTC 16:44:19 EDT | STS-110 ![]() | Atlantis | 7 | 10d 19h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [244] [245] |
110 | 5 June 2002 21:22:49 UTC 17:22:49 EDT | STS-111 ![]() | Endeavour | 7/7 | 13d 20h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [246] [247] |
111 | 7 October 2002 19:45:51 UTC 15:45:51 EDT | STS-112 ![]() | Atlantis | 6 | 10d 19h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [248] [249] |
112 | 23 November 2002 00:49:47 UTC [lower-alpha 3] 19:49:47 EST | STS-113 ![]() | Endeavour | 7/7 | 13d 18h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [250] [251] |
113 | 16 January 2003 15:39:00 UTC 10:39:00 EST | STS-107 ![]() | Columbia | 7 | 15d 22h | LC-39A | Did not land [lower-alpha 2] |
| [252] [253] |
114 | 26 July 2005 14:39:00 UTC 10:39:00 EDT | STS-114 ![]() | Discovery | 7 | 13d 21h | LC-39B | Edwards | [254] [255] | |
115 | 4 July 2006 18:37:55 UTC 14:37:55 EDT | STS-121 ![]() | Discovery | 7/6 | 12d 18h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF | [256] [257] | |
116 | 9 September 2006 15:14:55 UTC 11:14:55 EDT | STS-115 ![]() | Atlantis | 6 | 11d 19h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [258] [259] |
117 | 9 December 2006 24:47:35 UTC 20:47:35 EDT | STS-116 ![]() | Discovery | 7/7 | 12d 21h | LC-39B | Kennedy SLF |
| [260] [261] |
118 | 8 June 2007 23:38:04 UTC 19:38:04 EDT | STS-117 ![]() | Atlantis | 7/7 | 13d 20h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [262] [263] |
119 | 8 August 2007 22:36:42 UTC 18:36:42 EDT | STS-118 ![]() | Endeavour | 7 | 12d 18h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [264] [265] |
120 | 23 October 2007 15:38:19 UTC 11:38:19 EDT | STS-120 ![]() | Discovery | 7/7 | 15d 02h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [266] [267] |
121 | 7 February 2008 19:45:30 UTC 14:45:30 EST | STS-122 ![]() | Atlantis | 7/7 | 12d 18h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [268] [269] |
122 | 11 March 2008 06:28:14 UTC 02:28:14 EDT | STS-123 ![]() | Endeavour | 7/7 | 15d 18h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [270] [271] |
123 | 31 May 2008 21:02:12 UTC 17:02:12 EDT | STS-124 ![]() | Discovery | 7/7 | 13d 18h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [272] [273] |
124 | 14 November 2008 24:55:39 UTC 19:55:39 EST | STS-126 ![]() | Endeavour | 7/7 | 15d 20h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [274] [275] |
125 | 15 March 2009 23:43:44 UTC 19:43:44 EDT | STS-119 ![]() | Discovery | 7/7 | 12d 19h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [276] [277] |
126 | 11 May 2009 18:01:56 UTC 14:01:56 EDT | STS-125 ![]() | Atlantis | 7 | 12d 21h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [278] [279] [280] |
127 | 15 July 2009 22:03:10 UTC 18:03:10 EDT | STS-127 ![]() | Endeavour | 7/7 | 15d 16h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [281] [282] |
128 | 28 August 2009 03:59:37 UTC [lower-alpha 3] 23:59:37 EDT | STS-128 ![]() | Discovery | 7/7 | 13d 21h | LC-39A | Edwards |
| [283] [284] |
129 | 16 November 2009 19:28:01 UTC 14:28:01 EST | STS-129 ![]() | Atlantis | 6/7 | 10d 19h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [285] [286] |
130 | 8 February 2010 09:14:07 UTC 04:14:07 EST | STS-130 ![]() | Endeavour | 6 | 13d 18h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [287] [288] |
131 | 5 April 2010 10:21:25 UTC 06:21:25 EDT | STS-131 ![]() | Discovery | 7 | 15d 03h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [289] [290] |
132 | 14 May 2010 18:20:09 UTC 14:20:09 EDT | STS-132 ![]() | Atlantis | 6 | 11d 18h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [291] [292] |
133 | 24 February 2011 21:53:24 UTC 16:53:24 EST | STS-133 ![]() | Discovery | 6 | 12d 19h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [293] [294] |
134 | 16 May 2011 12:56:28 UTC 08:56:28 EDT | STS-134 ![]() | Endeavour | 6 | 15d 18h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [295] [296] |
135 | 8 July 2011 15:29:04 UTC 11:29:04 EDT | STS-135 ![]() | Atlantis | 4 | 12d 18h | LC-39A | Kennedy SLF |
| [297] [298] [299] |
One initial emergency flight abort (RTLS) sub-orbital test mission was canceled due to high risk. Many other planned missions were canceled due to the late development of the shuttle, and the Challenger and Columbia disasters.
Four missions were cut short by a day or more while in orbit: STS-2 (equipment failure), [22] STS-35 (weather), [102] STS-44 (equipment failure), [193] and STS-83 (equipment failure, relaunched as STS-94). [193]
STS-300 was the designation for the Space Shuttle Launch on Need (LON) missions to be launched on short notice for STS-114 and STS-121, in the event that the shuttle became disabled or damaged and could not safely return to Earth. [300] [301] [302] The rescue flight for STS-115, if needed, would have been STS-301. After STS-115, the rescue mission designations were based on the corresponding regular mission that would be replaced should the rescue mission be needed. For example, the STS-116 rescue mission was branded STS-317, because the normal mission scheduled after STS-116 was STS-117. Should the rescue mission have been needed, the crew and vehicle for STS-117 would assume the rescue mission profile and become STS-317. All potential rescue missions were to be launched with a crew of four, and would return with ten or eleven crew members, depending on the number of crew launched on the rescued shuttle. Missions were expected to last approximately eleven days. None of the planned contingency missions were ever flown. [303]
No contingency mission was planned for STS-135, the final shuttle mission. Instead, NASA planned to effect any required rescues one-by-one, using Russian Soyuz spacecraft. [304]
Flight | Rescue flight |
---|---|
STS-114 (Discovery) | STS-300 (Atlantis) |
STS-121 (Discovery) | STS-300 (Atlantis) |
STS-115 (Atlantis) | STS-301 (Discovery) |
STS-116 (Discovery) | STS-317 (Atlantis) |
STS-117 (Atlantis) | STS-318 (Endeavour) |
STS-118 (Endeavour) | STS-322 (Discovery) |
STS-120 (Discovery) | STS-320 (Atlantis) [lower-alpha 4] |
STS-122 (Atlantis) | STS-323 (Discovery) [lower-alpha 5] |
STS-123 (Endeavour) | STS-324 (Discovery) |
STS-124 (Discovery) | STS-326 (Endeavour) |
STS-125 (Atlantis) | STS-400 (Endeavour) |
STS-134 (Endeavour) | STS-335 (Atlantis) |
Key | |
‡ | Test vehicle |
† | Lost |
Shuttle | Designation | Flights | Flight time | Orbits | Longest flight | First flight | Last flight | Mir dockings | ISS dockings | Sources | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Flight | Date | Flight | Date | |||||||||
Enterprise ‡ | OV-101 | 5 | 00d 00h 19m | — | 00d 00h 05m | ALT-12 | 12 August 1977 | ALT-16 | 26 October 1977 | — | — | [306] [307] [308] [309] |
Columbia † | OV-102 | 28 | 300d 17h 47m 15s | 4,808 | 17d 15h 53m 18s | STS-1 | 12 April 1981 | STS-107 | 16 January 2003 | 0 | 0 | [306] [307] [310] [311] [312] |
Challenger † | OV-099 | 10 | 62d 07h 56m 15s | 995 | 08d 05h 23m 33s | STS-6 | 4 April 1983 | STS-51-L | 28 January 1986 | 0 | 0 | [306] [307] [313] [314] |
Discovery | OV-103 | 39 | 364d 22h 39m 29s | 5,830 | 15d 02h 48m 08s | STS-41-D | 30 August 1984 | STS-133 | 24 February 2011 | 1 | 13 | [306] [307] [315] [316] |
Atlantis | OV-104 | 33 | 306d 14h 12m 43s | 4,848 | 13d 20h 12m 44s | STS-51-J | 3 October 1985 | STS-135 | 8 July 2011 | 7 | 12 | [306] [307] [317] [318] |
Endeavour | OV-105 | 25 | 296d 03h 34m 02s | 4,677 | 16d 15h 08m 48s | STS-49 | 7 May 1992 | STS-134 | 16 May 2011 | 1 | 12 | [306] [307] [319] [320] |
Total | 135 | 1,330d 18h 9m 44s | 21,158 | 9 | 37 |
Space Shuttle Challenger (OV-099) was a Space Shuttle orbiter manufactured by Rockwell International and operated by NASA. Named after the commanding ship of a nineteenth-century scientific expedition that traveled the world, Challenger was the second Space Shuttle orbiter to fly into space after Columbia, and launched on its maiden flight in April 1983. It was destroyed in January 1986 soon after launch in a disaster that killed all seven crewmembers aboard.
Space Shuttle Columbia (OV-102) was a Space Shuttle orbiter manufactured by Rockwell International and operated by NASA. Named after the first American ship to circumnavigate the upper North American Pacific coast and the female personification of the United States, Columbia was the first of five Space Shuttle orbiters to fly in space, debuting the Space Shuttle launch vehicle on its maiden flight on April 12, 1981 and becoming the first ever spacecraft to be re-used after its first flight when it launched on STS-2 on November 12, 1981. As only the second full-scale orbiter to be manufactured after the Approach and Landing Test vehicle Enterprise, Columbia retained unique external and internal features compared to later orbiters, such as test instrumentation and distinctive black chines. In addition to a heavier aft fuselage and the retention of an internal airlock throughout its lifetime, these made Columbia the heaviest of the five spacefaring orbiters; around 1,000 kilograms heavier than Challenger and 3,600 kilograms heavier than Endeavour when originally constructed. Columbia also carried ejection seats based on those from the SR-71 during its first six flights until 1983, and from 1986 onwards carried an imaging pod on its vertical stabilizer.
Space Shuttle Discovery is a retired American Space Shuttle orbiter. The spaceplane was one of the orbiters from NASA's Space Shuttle program and the third of five fully operational orbiters to be built. Its first mission, STS-41-D, flew from August 30 to September 5, 1984. Over 27 years of service it launched and landed 39 times, aggregating more spaceflights than any other spacecraft to date. The Space Shuttle launch vehicle had three main components: the Space Shuttle orbiter, a single-use central fuel tank, and two reusable solid rocket boosters. Nearly 25,000 heat-resistant tiles cover the orbiter to protect it from high temperatures on re-entry.
Space Shuttle Atlantis is a retired Space Shuttle orbiter vehicle which belongs to NASA, the spaceflight and space exploration agency of the United States. Atlantis was manufactured by the Rockwell International company in Southern California and was delivered to the Kennedy Space Center in Eastern Florida in April 1985. Atlantis is also the fourth operational and the second-to-last Space Shuttle built. Its maiden flight was STS-51-J made from October 3 to 7, 1985.
Space Shuttle Endeavour is a retired orbiter from NASA's Space Shuttle program and the fifth and final operational Shuttle built. It embarked on its first mission, STS-49, in May 1992 and its 25th and final mission, STS-134, in May 2011. STS-134 was expected to be the final mission of the Space Shuttle program, but with the authorization of STS-135 by the United States Congress, Atlantis became the last shuttle to fly.
The Space Shuttle program was the fourth human spaceflight program carried out by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which accomplished routine transportation for Earth-to-orbit crew and cargo from 1981 to 2011. Its official program name was Space Transportation System (STS), taken from a 1969 plan for a system of reusable spacecraft where it was the only item funded for development, as a proposed nuclear shuttle in the plan was cancelled in 1972. It flew 135 missions and carried 355 astronauts from 16 countries, many on multiple trips.
Sandra Hall Magnus is an American engineer and a former NASA astronaut. She flew to space three times, as mission specialist on STS-112, as ISS crewmember during Expedition 18 and as mission specialist on STS-135. She is also a licensed amateur radio operator with the call sign KE5FYE. From 2012 until 2018 Magnus was the executive director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Jerry Lynn Ross is a retired United States Air Force officer, engineer, and a former NASA astronaut. Ross is a veteran of 7 Space Shuttle missions, making him the joint record holder for most spaceflights.
STS-61-B was the 23rd NASA Space Shuttle mission, and its second using Space Shuttle Atlantis. The shuttle was launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on November 26, 1985. During STS-61-B, the shuttle crew deployed three communications satellites, and tested techniques of constructing structures in orbit. Atlantis landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, at 16:33:49 EST on December 3, 1985, after 6 days, 21 hours, 4 minutes, and 49 seconds in orbit.
STS-27 was the 27th NASA Space Shuttle mission, and the third flight of Space Shuttle Atlantis. Launching on December 2, 1988, on a four-day mission, it was the second shuttle flight after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster of January 1986. STS-27 carried a classified payload for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), ultimately determined to be a Lacrosse surveillance satellite. The vessel's heat shielding was substantially damaged during lift-off, and crew members thought that they would die during reentry. This was a situation that was similar to the one that would prove fatal 15 years later on STS-107. Compared to the damage that Columbia sustained on STS-107, Atlantis experienced more extensive damage. However, this was over less critical areas and the missing tile was over an antenna which gave extra protection to the spacecraft structure. The mission landed successfully, although intense heat damage needed to be repaired.
STS-44 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission using Atlantis that launched on November 24, 1991. It was a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) space mission.
STS-79 was the 17th flight of Space Shuttle Atlantis, and the 79th mission of the Space Shuttle program. The flight saw Atlantis dock with the Russian space station Mir to deliver equipment, supplies and relief personnel. A variety of scientific experiments were also conducted aboard Atlantis by her crew. It was the first shuttle mission to rendezvous with a fully assembled Mir, and the fourth rendezvous of a shuttle to the space station.
STS-110 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on 8–19 April 2002 flown by Space Shuttle Atlantis. The main purpose was to install the S0 Truss segment, which forms the backbone of the truss structure on the station.
Space Shuttle missions designated STS-3xx were rescue missions which would have been mounted to rescue the crew of a Space Shuttle if their vehicle was damaged and deemed unable to make a successful reentry. Such a mission would have been flown if Mission Control determined that the heat shielding tiles and reinforced carbon-carbon panels of a currently flying orbiter were damaged beyond the repair capabilities of the available on-orbit repair methods. These missions were also referred to as Launch on Demand (LOD) and Contingency Shuttle Crew Support. The program was initiated following loss of Space Shuttle Columbia in 2003. No mission of this type was launched during the Space Shuttle program.
STS-122 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS), flown by the Space ShuttleAtlantis. STS-122 marked the 24th shuttle mission to the ISS, and the 121st Space Shuttle flight overall.
Joan Elizabeth Higginbotham is an electrical engineer and a former NASA astronaut. She flew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery mission STS-116 as a mission specialist and is the third African American woman to go into space, after Mae Jemison and Stephanie Wilson.
The Space Shuttle orbiter is the spaceplane component of the Space Shuttle, a partially reusable orbital spacecraft system that was part of the discontinued Space Shuttle program. Operated from 1981 to 2011 by NASA, the U.S. space agency, this vehicle could carry astronauts and payloads into low Earth orbit, perform in-space operations, then re-enter the atmosphere and land as a glider, returning its crew and any on-board payload to the Earth.
The following is an outline of 1985 in spaceflight.
The Extended Duration Orbiter (EDO) program was a project by NASA to prepare for long-term (months) microgravity research aboard Space Station Freedom, which later evolved into the International Space Station. Scientists and NASA needed practical experience in managing progressively longer times for their experiments. The original Space Shuttle configuration usually provided a week to ten days of spaceflight. Several research projects and hardware components were part of the project, of which the EDO-pallet was one of the most visible, contracted by Rockwell International.
STS-135 was the 135th and final mission of the American Space Shuttle program. It used the orbiter Atlantis and hardware originally processed for the STS-335 contingency mission, which was not flown. STS-135 launched on July 8, 2011, and landed on July 21, 2011, following a one-day mission extension. The four-person crew was the smallest of any shuttle mission since STS-6 in April 1983. The mission's primary cargo was the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) Raffaello and a Lightweight Multi-Purpose Carrier (LMC), which were delivered to the International Space Station (ISS). The flight of Raffaello marked the only time that Atlantis carried an MPLM.