1 Whither the Space Shuttle Roger D. Launius National Air and Space Museum Smithsonian Institution

2 What Do You do for an Encore after you have been to the Moon ?

3 3 Early Space Shuttle Concepts

4 A Creature of Compromise Approved January 5, 1972, $5.15B price tag. First flight April 12-14, Space Shuttle to provide routine, inexpensive, reliable, access to space. Next step in realizing vision of multi-planetary human presence. Viewed as “one-size-fits-all” space access vehicle. Was to position U.S. as central space access entity in world.

5 Building the Shuttle Intended to fly by Two critical technological challenges: Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) Thermal Protection System (TPS)

6 Space Shuttle Operations 1981—First flight of Columbia. 1982—Pres. Reagan declares Space Shuttle operational. 1986—Challenger accident at launch of 25 th flight. 1988—Return to flight of shuttle. 1995—First docking at Russian Mir space station. 1998—STS-95, John Glenn flight. 1998—First orbital assembly of ISS. 2003—Columbia accident on reentry. Total of 113 missions, 111 successful. 2005—Return to flight, STS —135 missions flown.

7 Preparing for Launch

8 Go for Launch

9 Living and Working in Orbit

10 The EVA Experience

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13 Shuttle/Mir Program,

14 Tragedies: Challenger 1986 and Columbia 2003

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18 Building the International Space Station

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20 Assessing the Shuttle’s Legacy 20

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