NASA Space Shuttle program

E5108

human spaceflight program space transportation system

The NASA Space Shuttle program was the United States' reusable spacecraft initiative that operated from 1981 to 2011, enabling routine human spaceflight, satellite deployment, and International Space Station construction and servicing.

Observed surface forms (11)

Surface form	Occurrences
Space Shuttle program	53
Space Shuttle Program	2
Space Shuttle missions	2
STS program	1
Space Shuttle (for NASA cargo return role)	1
Space Shuttle Orbiter	1
Space Shuttle launch vehicle	1
Space Shuttle mission operations	1
Space Shuttle program (for ISS cargo)	1
Space Shuttle program operations	1
United States Space Shuttle program	1

Statements (80)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	human spaceflight program ⓘ space transportation system ⓘ
cargoBayDiameter	4.6 meters ⓘ
cargoBayLength	18.3 meters ⓘ
Challenger disaster	occurred on 1986-01-28 ⓘ
Columbia disaster	occurred on 2003-02-01 ⓘ
component	Space Shuttle Discovery ⓘ surface form: External Tank Space Shuttle solid rocket booster joint ⓘ surface form: Solid Rocket Booster Space Transportation System ⓘ surface form: Space Shuttle orbiter
country	United States of America ⓘ surface form: United States
crewCapacity	up to 7 astronauts ⓘ
crewModule	pressurized crew cabin ⓘ
developedBy	Martin Marietta ⓘ Johnson Space Center ⓘ surface form: NASA Johnson Space Center Kennedy Space Center ⓘ surface form: NASA Kennedy Space Center Marshall Space Flight Center ⓘ surface form: NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Rockwell International ⓘ Thiokol ⓘ
enabledTechnology	large payload return to Earth ⓘ on-orbit construction ⓘ satellite retrieval and repair ⓘ
endTime	2011 ⓘ
firstCrewedFlight	STS-1 ⓘ
firstLaunchDate	1981-04-12 ⓘ
followedBy	Commercial Crew Program ⓘ Space Launch System ⓘ surface form: Space Launch System program
fundingAgency	United States Congress ⓘ
inception	1972 ⓘ
landingSite	Edwards Air Force Base ⓘ Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility ⓘ White Sands Missile Range ⓘ surface form: White Sands Space Harbor
lastLaunchDate	2011-07-08 ⓘ
lastMission	STS-135 ⓘ
launchMass	about 2,000,000 kilograms ⓘ
nonReusableComponent	external tank ⓘ
notableAccident	Space Shuttle Challenger disaster ⓘ surface form: Challenger disaster Columbia disaster ⓘ
notableMission	STS-1 ⓘ STS-107 ⓘ STS-114 ⓘ STS-135 ⓘ STS-41B ⓘ STS-51L ⓘ STS-61 ⓘ STS-88 ⓘ
officialName	Space Transportation System ⓘ
operator	NASA ⓘ
orbitInclinationRange	28.5 to 57 degrees ⓘ
politicalContext	Cold War ⓘ post-Apollo era ⓘ
precededBy	Apollo program ⓘ
primaryLaunchSite	Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A ⓘ Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39B ⓘ
propulsion	Space Shuttle solid rocket booster joint ⓘ surface form: Solid Rocket Boosters Space Shuttle Main Engines ⓘ
purpose	microgravity research ⓘ reusable crewed spaceflight ⓘ satellite deployment ⓘ space station construction ⓘ space station servicing ⓘ
reusabilityFeature	reusable orbiter ⓘ reusable solid rocket boosters ⓘ
safetyReview	Columbia Accident Investigation Board ⓘ Rogers Commission investigation of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster ⓘ surface form: Rogers Commission
shortName	NASA Space Shuttle program self-linksurface differs ⓘ surface form: STS program
spacecraftType	partially reusable launch system ⓘ winged orbiter with solid rocket boosters and external tank ⓘ
startTime	1981 ⓘ
totalAstronautsFlown	over 350 ⓘ
totalMissions	135 ⓘ
totalOrbits	over 20,000 ⓘ
totalPeopleFlown	over 800 ⓘ
totalTimeInSpace	over 1300 days ⓘ
trainingCenter	Johnson Space Center ⓘ
usedFor	Department of Defense missions ⓘ Hubble Space Telescope deployment ⓘ Hubble Space Telescope ⓘ surface form: Hubble Space Telescope servicing missions International Space Station assembly ⓘ International Space Station resupply ⓘ Spacelab missions ⓘ