Discovery

NASA’s shuttle fleet achieved numerous firsts and opened up space to more people than ever before during the Space Shuttle Program’s 30 years of missions. From the first launch on April 12, 1981 to the final landing on July 21, 2011, NASA's space shuttle fleet flew 135 missions, helped construct the International Space Station and inspired generations. An idea born in unsettled times becomes a feat of engineering excellence. The most complex machine ever built to bring humans to and from space and eventually construct the next stop on the road to space exploration. Second test flight of the Space Shuttle to demonstrate safe re-launch and safe return of the orbiter and crew. The first operational mission of the Shuttle, which deployed two commercial satellites. STS-6 was the maiden flight of Challenger. STS-6 deployed the first Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-1) into orbit. STS-7 carried Sally Ride, the first American woman to fly in space. STS-8 carried Guion Bluford who became the first African-American to fly in space. INSAT-1B, a multipurpose satellite for India which… STS-9 carried the first Spacelab mission and the first astronaut to represent the European Space Agency. On this mission the first untethered space walks were carried out by McCandless and Stewart, using the manned maneuvering unit. The primary payload of the mission was the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF). First flight of Space Shuttle Discovery. The primary payloads for the mission were three commercial communications satellites – SBS-4 for… Explore chronologies, publications, oral histories and more to dig into the details of the history of NASA's Space Shuttle Program.