• The Shuttle Discovery lifts off launch pad, on April 24, 1990, carrying a crew of five and the Hubble Space Telescope. The giant spacecraft is being put in orbit to gather information about a large variety of astronomical objects, from neighboring planets and stars to the most distant galaxies and quasars.
    The Shuttle Discovery lifts off launch pad, on April 24, 1990, carrying a crew of five and the Hubble Space Telescope. The giant spacecraft is being put in orbit to gather information about a large variety of astronomical objects, from neighboring planets and stars to the most distant galaxies and quasars.
  • January 28, 1986: The Space Shuttle Challenger lifts off on apparently flawless launch over Space Kennedy Centre. Challenger, carrying seven crew members including teacher Christa McAuliffe, exploded 75 seconds after its launch and killed all crew member???
    January 28, 1986: The Space Shuttle Challenger lifts off on apparently flawless launch over Space Kennedy Centre. Challenger, carrying seven crew members including teacher Christa McAuliffe, exploded 75 seconds after its launch and killed all crew member???
  • November 1985: The crew of the doomed US space shuttle Challenger. Front row from left: astronauts Mike Smith, Dick Scobee, Ron McNair, back row from left: Ellison Onizuka, school teacher Christa McAuliffe, Greg Jarvis, and Judith Resnik. AFP /NASA
    November 1985: The crew of the doomed US space shuttle Challenger. Front row from left: astronauts Mike Smith, Dick Scobee, Ron McNair, back row from left: Ellison Onizuka, school teacher Christa McAuliffe, Greg Jarvis, and Judith Resnik. AFP /NASA
  • February 3 2003: Photos of the Space Shuttle Columbia adorn a table at the St. Paul The Apostle Catholic church in Houston, Texas during a memorial service in remembrance of the crew. The seven Columbia astronauts perished when the space shuttle orbiter d???
    February 3 2003: Photos of the Space Shuttle Columbia adorn a table at the St. Paul The Apostle Catholic church in Houston, Texas during a memorial service in remembrance of the crew. The seven Columbia astronauts perished when the space shuttle orbiter d???
  • 1976: The Space Shuttle Enterprise rolls out of the Palmdale manufacturing facilities with Star Trek television cast members. Left to right: Dr. James D. Fletcher, NASA Administrator, DeForest Kelley (Dr. "Bones" McCoy), George Takei (Mr. Sulu), James Doo???
    1976: The Space Shuttle Enterprise rolls out of the Palmdale manufacturing facilities with Star Trek television cast members. Left to right: Dr. James D. Fletcher, NASA Administrator, DeForest Kelley (Dr. "Bones" McCoy), George Takei (Mr. Sulu), James Doo???
  • March 7, 2011: The Space Shuttle Discovery is seen from the International Space Station as the two orbital spacecraft accomplish their relative separation. Discovery is on the verge of ending its nearly 27-year flying career. Landing is set for Wednesday???
    March 7, 2011: The Space Shuttle Discovery is seen from the International Space Station as the two orbital spacecraft accomplish their relative separation. Discovery is on the verge of ending its nearly 27-year flying career. Landing is set for Wednesday???
  • February 1, 2003: Debris from the Space Shuttle Columbia streaks across the sky over Tyler, Texas. AP Photo/Dr. Scott Lieberman
    February 1, 2003: Debris from the Space Shuttle Columbia streaks across the sky over Tyler, Texas. AP Photo/Dr. Scott Lieberman
  • 16 January 2003: Close-up of the launch of Columbia as it takes off on it's fateful last mission. The seven Columbia astronauts perished when the space shuttle orbiter disintegrated on re-entering earth's atmosphere 01 February 2003 sixteen minutes before???
    16 January 2003: Close-up of the launch of Columbia as it takes off on it's fateful last mission. The seven Columbia astronauts perished when the space shuttle orbiter disintegrated on re-entering earth's atmosphere 01 February 2003 sixteen minutes before???
  • January 24, 1998. Shuttle Commander Terrence Wilcutt, right, and Mir Commander Anatoly Solovyev, left, hug after opening the hatches between the space shuttle Endeavour and the Russian space station Mir on the first shuttle mission to the International Sp???
    January 24, 1998. Shuttle Commander Terrence Wilcutt, right, and Mir Commander Anatoly Solovyev, left, hug after opening the hatches between the space shuttle Endeavour and the Russian space station Mir on the first shuttle mission to the International Sp???
  • January 2003: crew members in the SPACEHAB Research Double Module aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. This picture was on a roll of unprocessed film later recovered by searchers from the debris. From the left (bottom row), wearing red shirts to signify the???
    January 2003: crew members in the SPACEHAB Research Double Module aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. This picture was on a roll of unprocessed film later recovered by searchers from the debris. From the left (bottom row), wearing red shirts to signify the???
  • April 29, 2011: President Barack Obama with daughters Malia, left, Sasha, first lady Michelle Obama, right, and her mother Marian Robinson, partially hidden, examine the tiled underbelly and landing gear of Space Shuttle Atlantis as they visit Kennedy Spa???
    April 29, 2011: President Barack Obama with daughters Malia, left, Sasha, first lady Michelle Obama, right, and her mother Marian Robinson, partially hidden, examine the tiled underbelly and landing gear of Space Shuttle Atlantis as they visit Kennedy Spa???
  • September 9, 1977: The first Space Shuttle External Tank rolls off the assembly line on at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was then transported to the National Space Technology Laboratories in southern Mississippi where it was used???
    September 9, 1977: The first Space Shuttle External Tank rolls off the assembly line on at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was then transported to the National Space Technology Laboratories in southern Mississippi where it was used???
  • 30 September 1983: A powerful electrical storm created an eerie tapestry of light in the skies over Kennedy Space Centre in the hours preceding the launch of Challenger, the first shuttle flight to launch at night. Courtesy NASA
    30 September 1983: A powerful electrical storm created an eerie tapestry of light in the skies over Kennedy Space Centre in the hours preceding the launch of Challenger, the first shuttle flight to launch at night. Courtesy NASA
  • January 28, 1986. The Space Shuttle Challenger explodes 73 seconds after takeoff at Kennedy Space Centre, Florida. This picture shows the main engine exhaust, solid rocket booster plume and an expanding ball of gas from the external tank, visible seconds ???
    January 28, 1986. The Space Shuttle Challenger explodes 73 seconds after takeoff at Kennedy Space Centre, Florida. This picture shows the main engine exhaust, solid rocket booster plume and an expanding ball of gas from the external tank, visible seconds ???
  • 13 November 1981: President Ronald Reagan gets a laugh from NASA officials in Mission Control when he jokingly asks astronauts Joe Engle and Richard Truly if they could stop by Washington en route to their California landing site in order that he might co???
    13 November 1981: President Ronald Reagan gets a laugh from NASA officials in Mission Control when he jokingly asks astronauts Joe Engle and Richard Truly if they could stop by Washington en route to their California landing site in order that he might co???
  • January 5, 1972: U.S. President Richard M. Nixon (R) holds a model of the proposed Space Shuttle vehicle as he met with NASA Administrator Dr. James C. Fletcher in San Clemente, California. The president announced later that day that the U.S. would procee???
    January 5, 1972: U.S. President Richard M. Nixon (R) holds a model of the proposed Space Shuttle vehicle as he met with NASA Administrator Dr. James C. Fletcher in San Clemente, California. The president announced later that day that the U.S. would procee???
  • 1977: The first Space Shuttle Enterprise is released from a 747 during an atmospheric test flight. A prototype was built for test flights but never reached space. Columbia became the first shuttle to fly in orbit with its launch on April 12, 1981 with two???
    1977: The first Space Shuttle Enterprise is released from a 747 during an atmospheric test flight. A prototype was built for test flights but never reached space. Columbia became the first shuttle to fly in orbit with its launch on April 12, 1981 with two???
  • 1981: U.S. Vice President George H. Bush speaks with space shuttle astronauts. AP Photo
    1981: U.S. Vice President George H. Bush speaks with space shuttle astronauts. AP Photo
  • 12 April, 1981: The Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida during the first mission of the Space Shuttle. AFP/ NASA
    12 April, 1981: The Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida during the first mission of the Space Shuttle. AFP/ NASA
  • April 25 1990: A photo taken by the STS-31 crew aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery, shortly before the Hubble Space Telescope was deployed, showing the extended golden solar blanket which supplies power to the telescope. AFP PHOTO / NASA
    April 25 1990: A photo taken by the STS-31 crew aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery, shortly before the Hubble Space Telescope was deployed, showing the extended golden solar blanket which supplies power to the telescope. AFP PHOTO / NASA
  • 16 November 1982. First operational flight and mission for Columbia with four crew onboard. Courtesy NASA
    16 November 1982. First operational flight and mission for Columbia with four crew onboard. Courtesy NASA

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The Space Shuttle era: in pictures

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