Top Ten Shuttle Memories
Highlights from America's longest-lived space program.
- By Tony Reichhardt
- AirSpaceMag.com, July 08, 2011
NASA
Almost from the beginning, the space shuttle was a victim of its own success. NASA set out to establish routine transportation to Earth orbit, and that’s just what the shuttle became in the public eye—routine. The astronauts and flight directors knew different, but casual viewers could be forgiven if they tuned out space missions that all seemed alike, and were so well executed that they became predictable.
Occasionally, though, the public did tune in. There were the accidents, of course—Challenger in 1986 and Columbia in 2003. But beyond those tragedies, there were moments when the personalities, or the payloads, or the sheer beauty of the photos turned our attention to NASA’s spaceplane and the people who flew it.
Here are 10 of those memorable moments, starting with the launch of the first shuttle, STS-1, in 1981 (above). No space vehicle had ever launched with astronauts on its first flight. And none is likely to do it again.
See the gallery above for more of our Top 10 Shuttle Moments. Let us know your favorites, and tell us which ones we missed.
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Comments (5)
Why is the outboard elevon deflected upward, while the inboard is neutral?
Posted by Fadaak on July 20,2011 | 09:26 PM
Say what you will of the cost and duration of the shuttle program, but the technological breakthroughs and engineering that resulted in space flight is nothing short of amazing. It is worth a trip to the Kennedy Space Center just to get an elementary understanding of the entire space exploration to date.
Posted by Jeff Kaplan on July 20,2011 | 11:45 PM
It's a sad time for America. We have gone from hero to zero. I have never gotten rid of any transportation without having something to take its place but that is what our country has done as far as our space capabilities. This country sure does some stupid stuff. I went to see the last launch and so did allot of other folks. I think it showed the the public is behind NASA and our space adventures. I never lost my excitement for a space launch. I think it was the broadcast people who lost their zest. It cost quite a bit to go see that last launch and it was worth every penny.
Posted by greg treadway on July 22,2011 | 08:18 PM
My most memorable shuttle moment is a little-remembered moment following the Challenger accident. On the day after the accident, the Air Force sent a helicopter out over the Atlantic to do a memorial wreath-drop.
A second helicopter flew along side to video the drop. The flower wreath was dropped into the ocean according to plan. Then something wonderful happened. Seven dolphin were seen jumping over the wreath as it lay bobing in the ocean.
A more-fitting memorial could not have been planned in a million years. That video was shown on the news once, and had never been seen again. I often ask other journalists on the space coast about the moment, and almost to a person they remember it happening, but no one knows what happened to the video.
Rick Steele
Sarasota, Florida
Posted by Rick Steele on July 27,2011 | 07:24 PM
I have witnesed numerous Shuttle launches,including two Discovery flights (STS-48 and STS-60) which our son, Ken Jr. was the Pilot. There is no feeling to compare with the countdown, anticipation and ground-trembling roar, even at eight miles away,and the sight of that magnificant package of human engineering lifting its way into space orbit. Even the command "Go with ( main engine) throttle up" becomes frozen in your mind.
Those flights when our son was strapped in that package of very dangerous gases and Booster rockets was an extra ordinary different mix of feelings for the usual launch countdown thrills.
How many times the praise"Aren't you proud ?" evoked the suppressed reply" Well no, it's just what we expected of him !" but we were,and are, proud of Ken's part in Space Program History. Bless all those who were part of the Space Program of the United States of America. /s/ Ken Reightler, Sr, CPO/LT USN (Ret)
Posted by Kenneth S. Reightler, Sr. on July 28,2011 | 11:26 AM