How many missions did the Space Shuttle program fly?
The Space Shuttle program flew 135 missions between 1981 and 2011. It carried 355 astronauts from 16 countries and operated for 30 years, twice as long as originally planned.
Questions about Space Shuttle program
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What caused the Challenger disaster in 1986?
An O-ring failure on the right solid rocket booster caused the Challenger disaster on the 28th of January, 1986. Hot gas leaked through the failed joint, collapsed the external tank, and the orbiter broke apart due to aerodynamic stress 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven crew members.
What caused the Columbia disaster in 2003?
A piece of foam that separated from the external tank during launch struck the leading edge of Columbia's left wing, damaging a reinforced carbon-carbon panel. On reentry on the 1st of February, 2003, hot gas penetrated the wing and destroyed it from the inside, killing all seven crew members.
How much did the Space Shuttle program cost in total?
The total inflation-adjusted cost of the Space Shuttle program through 2011 was $196 billion. Divided across 135 missions, the average per-launch cost was approximately $1.5 billion.
Where are the Space Shuttle orbiters displayed today?
Discovery is at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Enterprise is at the Intrepid Museum in New York City. Atlantis is at the Kennedy Space Center visitor complex, and Endeavour is at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.
How did the Space Shuttle program influence the Artemis program?
Artemis I carried components that had flown on 83 of the 135 Space Shuttle missions. From Artemis I through Artemis VI, the Orion spacecraft uses six previously flown Space Shuttle OMS engines, some dating to the early 1980s.