NextPrevious

Space Programs

The Space Shuttle

How many space shuttles were there?

Six shuttles were built. The first shuttle orbiter, Enterprise, was constructed for test purposes and was never launched into orbit. It proved capable, however, of lifting off and gliding down to a safe landing. The first shuttle orbiter to be launched into space was Columbia, piloted by astronauts John Young (1930-) and Robert Crippen (1937-), launched for the first time on April 12, 1981, and landed safely on April 14. It was followed by Challenger on April 4, 1983; Discovery on August 30, 1984; Atlantis on October 3, 1985; and Endeavour on May 7, 1992.



Close

This is a web preview of the "The Handy Astronomy Answer Book" app. Many features only work on your mobile device. If you like what you see, we hope you will consider buying. Get the App