Space shuttle program
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| Country of origin | United States of America |
|---|---|
| Responsible organization | NASA |
| Purpose | Routine Earth-to-orbit crew and cargo transport |
| Status | Completed |
| Program history | |
| Cost | $196 billion (2011) |
| Program duration | 1972–2011 |
| First flight | ALT-12 August 12, 1977 |
| First crewed flight | STS-1 April 12, 1981 |
| Last flight | STS-135 July 21, 2011 |
| Successes | 133 |
| Failures | 2 Challenger (launch failure, 7 fatalities), Columbia (re-entry failure, 7 fatalities) |
| Launch site(s) | LC-39, Kennedy Space Center |
| Vehicle information | |
| Vehicle type | Reusable space plane |
| Crew vehicle | Space Shuttle Orbiter |
| Crew capacity | 8 (emergency: 11) |
| Launch vehicle(s) | Space Shuttle stack |
 Rockwell 74 Passenger Module© Rockwell— host |
The Space Shuttle program, officially called the Space Transportation System (STS), was the United States government's manned launch vehicle program from 1981 to 2011, administered by NASA and officially beginning in 1972. The Space Shuttle system—composed of an orbiter launched with two reusable solid rocket boosters and a disposable external fuel tank— carried up to eight astronauts and up to 50,000 lb (23,000 kg) of payload into low Earth orbit (LEO). When its mission was complete, the orbiter would re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and land like a glider at either the Kennedy Space Center or Edwards Air Force Base.
The Shuttle is the only winged manned spacecraft to have achieved orbit and landing, and the only reusable manned space vehicle that has ever made multiple flights into orbit (the Russian shuttle Buran was very similar and was designed to have the same capabilities but made only one unmanned spaceflight before it was cancelled). Its missions involved carrying large payloads to various orbits (including segments to be added to the International Space Station (ISS)), providing crew rotation for the space station, and performing service missions. The orbiter also recovered satellites and other payloads (e.g., from the ISS) from orbit and returned them to Earth, though its use in this capacity was rare. Each vehicle was designed with a projected lifespan of 100 launches, or 10 years' operational life, though original selling points on the shuttles were over 150 launches and over a 15-year operational span with a 'launch per month' expected at the peak of the program, but extensive delays in the development of the International Space Station never created such a peak demand for frequent flights.
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