When was the Space Shuttle program officially approved by President Richard Nixon?
President Richard Nixon approved the Space Shuttle on the 5th of January 1972. NASA decided on its final design in March 1972 following this approval.
Questions about Space Shuttle
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What were the names and construction dates for all five Space Shuttle orbiters?
Construction began on OV-101, later named Enterprise, on the 4th of June 1974 and completed on the 17th of September 1976. Construction started on Columbia on the 27th of March 1975. NASA commissioned a second orbiter on the 5th of January 1979 which became Challenger. NASA ordered Discovery and Atlantis on the 29th of January 1979. Construction of Endeavour began in February 1982 after the loss of Challenger.
How many total missions did the Space Shuttle fly and when did the program end?
The Space Shuttle flew from the 12th of April 1981 until the 21st of July 2011. Throughout the program the Space Shuttle had 135 missions with 133 returning safely. The final mission STS-135 landed at the Kennedy Space Center on the 21st of July 2011.
Why did the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occur on the 28th of January 1986?
STS-51-L disintegrated 73 seconds after launch due to the failure of the right solid rocket booster O-ring seal caused by low temperature. Hot combustion gases escaped between booster sections and burned through the external tank leading to catastrophic events that killed all seven astronauts on board.
What was the actual per-launch cost of the Space Shuttle compared to initial estimates?
Development estimates made in 1972 projected a per-pound payload cost as low as $1,109 but actual costs were $37,207 per pound. Accounting for the entire Space Shuttle program budget the per-launch cost reached $1.642 billion in 2012 dollars.