RetiredbyUSA
Space Shuttle
American partially reusable crewed orbital launch system
NASA flew the Shuttle for thirty years, 1981 to 2011 — 135 missions, the only winged orbital vehicle ever to fly crews. Two were lost: Challenger in 1986 just after launch, Columbia in 2003 on re-entry. The fleet built the International Space Station before retiring.
Service1981–2011
19812011
1981·first flight◇1985·peak (9 launches)●2011·last flight
- launches
- 135 launches
- success · 134/135
- 99% success · 134/135
Space Shuttle Launch Activity
Past launches and what's coming up
Full Launch History
Select a year to explore the archive
