The History of the Space Shuttle

From its first launch 30 years ago to its final launch [today], NASA’s Space Shuttle program has seen moments of dizzying inspiration and of crushing disappointment. When [today’s] launch is complete, the program will have sent up 135 missions, ferrying more than 350 humans and thousands of tons of material and equipment into low Earth orbit. Fourteen astronauts have lost their lives along the way – the missions have always been risky, the engineering complex, the hazards extreme. As we near the end of the program, I’d like to look back at the past few decades of shuttle development and missions as we await the next steps toward human space flight.