Record-setting space walks, the dawn of the International Space Station, and other highlights from the retiring shuttle's 25-mission career
Posted 09.21.2012 at 3:05 pm
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Endeavour With First ISS Payload
NASA
As the Endeavour Orbiter heads west from Cape Canaveral, Florida on its way to its retirement home in Los Angeles this week, we take a look back at the NASA shuttle's impressive 20-year career and put together an interactive timeline with some of the most amazing photos and videos.
We'll keep the timeline updated with more footage today as the shuttle makes its final landing this afternoon.
Check out the timeline here:
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I love you Space Shuttle program, even though nobody else has commented yet, snif, snif...
KUDOS to all the people involved in the Space Shuttle program!
WELL DONE!
I really like that liftoff pic in the teaser, PopSci. Try to think about that bird lookin thing as a bird for a sec. Haulin ass concepts being awakened in nature is also a very cool thing.
We learned so much mechanically from the Shuttle program that whether you were ever a fan of it or not, the overall value is staggering when considered against other essential engineering developments. Even just considering the CanadaArm's successes with none of the more esoteric power transfer and containment developments is huge. Sensor capability overall for the entire world could likewise be laid on the Shuttle program, as can many other developments; but none are even needed in any comprehensive full value analysis. There's simply no way we can really thank all our international partners, and yes, even our competitors for the things the world knows now. Mebbe we can play Deep Purple's 'Let's go space truckin' worldwide once or somethin. 'Cause I for one am tired of being a lowly Highway Star.
"We learned so much mechanically from the Shuttle program that whether you were ever a fan of it or not, the overall value is staggering when considered against other essential engineering developments"
quasi44,
I spent a few years (towards the end of the program) working as a mechanical systems engineer on the Shuttle program. I even worked with some Canadian engineers from MDR responsible for the RMS. While I enjoyed the work and am grateful for the opportunity it provided, in retrospect I have to somewhat disagree with your comment about the real value provided by the total expenditures on the Shuttle program.
Indeed, some of the original engineering work done for the Shuttle was truly impressive. Especially for the mid/late 1970's. But each Shuttle launch later in the program cost almost 1/2 billion dollars. In my opinion, this was probably not an efficient use of taxpayer money.