The Space Shuttle May 2026

: Known for carrying the first American woman and African American into space; destroyed 73 seconds after liftoff in 1986.

Five flight-worthy orbiters were constructed for the program: The Space Shuttle

40 Years Ago: Space Shuttle Enterprise rolls to the Pad - NASA : Known for carrying the first American woman

The Shuttle system consisted of three primary components that worked together for launch: it completed 25 missions

: The first shuttle to fly into space in 1981; tragically lost during re-entry in 2003.

: Built as a replacement for Challenger, it completed 25 missions, including the first service mission for Hubble.