The Space Shuttle, officially known as the Space Transportation System (STS), was a groundbreaking spacecraft developed by NASA to revolutionize human spaceflight. It consisted of three major components: the orbiter, solid rocket boosters (SRBs), and the external tank.
The shuttle's orbiter, resembling an airplane, was a reusable spacecraft designed to carry astronauts and cargo into orbit. Unlike previous spacecraft, the shuttle could return to Earth for refurbishment and reuse, reducing the cost of access to space.
The Space Shuttle fleet conducted numerous missions from 1981 to 2011, including deploying satellites, conducting scientific research, assembling and servicing the International Space Station (ISS), and launching missions to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.
While the shuttle program achieved many successes, it also faced tragic setbacks, notably the Challenger disaster in 1986 and the Columbia tragedy in 2003, resulting in the loss of 14 astronauts.
