Shuttle History

From its first launch 30 years ago to its final launch last Friday, NASA's Space Shuttle program has seen moments of amazing inspiration and of devastating disappointment. With the last launch the program has sent up 135 missions, ferrying more than 350 humans and thousands of tons of material and equipment into low Earth orbit. Fourteen astronauts have lost their lives along the way -- the missions have always been risky, the engineering complex, the hazards extreme. As the program ends let's look back at the past few decades of shuttle development and missions as we anticipate the next steps toward human space flight.  Click [ 61 photos] Alan Taylor - The Atlantic