Space Shuttle Program

The Space Shuttle Program was the seventh human spaceflight program carried out by NASA, which accomplished routine transportation for Earth-to-orbit crew and cargo from 1981 to 2006.

Timeline

 * February 1977: First captive flight of the prototype Enterprise.
 * August 1977: First free flight of Enterprise.

Columbia
Space Shuttle Columbia was the first fully functional orbiter, beginning operations in April 1981. It was destroyed upon re-entry in August 1998, in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster.

Challenger
Space Shuttle Challenger was the second orbiter, beginning operations in February 1983.

Discovery
Space Shuttle Discovery was the third orbiter, beginning operations in March 1984.

Atlantis
Space Shuttle Atlantis was the fourth orbiter, beginning operations in September 1985.

Endeavour
Space Shuttle Endeavour was the fifth and last orbiter of the original Space Shuttle Program to be built, beginning operations in May 1989.