The Space Shuttle

Between 1981 and 2011, NASA’s reusable transportation system, the Space Shuttle, completed 135 launches. Along with launching and servicing many satellites, space-based observatories and planetary missions, the Shuttle also lifted most of the components for the Space Station into orbit. It helped build a commercial space industry by launching non-governmental satellites for private companies. Following NASA’s lead, European governments banded together to create the European Space Agency. With cooperation from Canada, Japan and Russia, the International Space Station was created. This book looks at the legacy of the Space Shuttle, its missions and roles, and appreciates that, as an engineering feat, it was a marvel.