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The Shuttle Project ~

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Challenger: STS 51L

Scheduled to deploy Tracking and Data Relay Satellites. Carry out Teacher in Space Project and Shuttle Student Involvement Program (1986).

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Columbia: STS 107

Successfully deployed the SPACEHAB Double Research Module, the Freestar experiment, and the Extended Duration Orbiter pallet (2003).

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Synopsis

"The future does not belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave...We'll continue our quest in space. Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue."

— President Ronald Reagan, addressing the nation on January 28, 1986.

Challenger crew official portrait — Nov 1985.

Columbia crew official portrait — Oct 2003.

The "Forever Remembered" permanent memorial.

The satellite deplyment mission . During the ascent phase, 73 seconds after liftoff, the vehicle experienced a catastrophic structural failure resulting in the loss of crew and vehicle.

Cody copy set at 1.125rem (18px) with a 1.5 line-height and a high contrast type scale, Skull’s typography sets the pace for elegant information hierarchy and lends itself to effortless readability.Body copy set at 1.125rem (18px) with a 1.5 line-height and a high contrast type scale, Skull’s typography sets the pace for elegant information hierarchy and lends itself to effortless readability.

The crew members who lost their lives during the space shuttle missions are immortalised at the "Forever Remembered" Memorial at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The Crew

Explore the official biographies of all fourteen astronauts involved in the missions.

Name Home State Role Biography
Francis Scobee Washington Commander Official Bio
Michael Smith N. Carolina Pilot Official Bio
Ronald McNair S. Carolina Mission Specialist Official Bio
Ellison Onizuka Hawaii Mission Specialist Official Bio
Judith Resnik Ohio Mission Specialist Official Bio
Gregory Jarvis Michigan Payload Specialist Official Bio
Christa McAuliffe Massachusetts Payload Specialist Official Bio
Name Home State Role Biography
Rick Husband Texas Commander Official Bio
William McCool California Pilot Official Bio
David Brown Virginia Mission Specialist Official Bio
Kalpana Chawla Punjab Mission Specialist Official Bio
Michael Anderson New York Mission Specialist Official Bio
Laurel Clark Iowa Mission Specialist Official Bio
Ilan Ramon Israel Mission Specialist Official Bio
Francis
Michael S.
Ronald
Ellison
Judith
Gregory
Christa
Rick
William
David
Kalpana
Michael A.
Laurel
Ilan

Legacy

The legacies of these teams live on years after their mission. Members of the crew have been immortalized in cities around the world. The four astronauts of the final space shuttle mission are greeted by R.E.M. front man Michael Stipe and the group’s hit, "Man on the Moon". Listen below:

Stipe said, “I recorded ‘Man on The Moon’ for NASA in Venice, Italy, where Galileo first presented to the Venetian government his eight-power telescope, and in 1610 wrote 'The Starry Messenger' (Sidereus Nuncius), an account of his early astronomical discoveries that altered forever our view of our place in the universe." Listen to more wakeup music of the Space Shuttle’s final mission here.

Looking Ahead

STS-135, the final shuttle mission, landed on 21 July 2011, 09:57 UTC at the Kennedy Space Center on runway 15. Efforts have been made to relaunch a space program to explore greater heights. Here's how much time has elapsed since the Shuttle Program officially concluded.


Years

Days

Hours

Mins

Secs

Media Archive

Browse the photo albums on Flickr.

Challenger Columbia