
STS-135 Crew Portrait, Source: NASA
Space is truly the final frontier — at least for NASA’s space shuttle program, which ends on July 8, 2011. When Commander Craig Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Rex Walheim and Sandy Magnus board STS-135 Atlantis, carrying cargo to the International Space Station (ISS) the dramatic countdown of “Ten, nine, eight…” read at launch will fade quietly into history. The future without shuttles is sharply emphasized by cargo being hauled by the Atlantis, which includes a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling spacecraft.
Shuttles -– humanity’s first reusable spacecraft -– came not from a cubicle at NASA headquarters, but from the U.S. Air Force, where a “winged” space vehicle, or “shuttle,” was first imagined in 1962. Prototypes were tried and discarded, but when NASA became involved in the 1960s space race, officials had a sky-high budget — to be the first among nations — never seen since. Still, after six exciting and manned Apollo Moon landings riveted the public, global and national politics changed. Space travel was no longer a priority, and money that flowed into engineering dried up, forcing NASA to cancel three more trips to the Moon, among other projects.
In 1974, six shuttles were built, with the idea of making space voyages a more-efficient alternative to other means. The first shuttle -– the Enterprise — so named by then-President Gerald Ford because of a huge outpouring of support from “Star Trek” fans, was constructed to be the first American orbiter. But it never orbited, it never shuttled, and it never went to space. The 130-ton Enterprise, in fact, had no engines. Instead, it was designed to piggyback on the back of a Boeing 747 jet, to test its gliding abilities. The first free flight in 1977 lasted 5.5 minutes from an altitude of 4.5 miles over California, with two astronauts steering it into Edwards Air Force Base. To this day, many people are unaware that shuttles are not similar to airplanes when they return home, but are instead, the largest gliders in the world.
Flying Through the Years
The excitement of watching shuttle flights dimmed considerably in 1986, when STS-51L (later renamed STS-25), killed seven astronauts when the Challenger exploded just 73 seconds after launch, in front of millions of viewers. Despite the tragedy, public outcry and emotion supported allocating federal funds to one replacement orbiter. In the following years, men and women commanded more shuttles while conducting experiments, re-defining science, and beaming never-imagined photos to Earth-bound residents thanks to sophisticated new imaging technology. In 2003, another setback hurt the shuttle program when the STS-107 Columbia was lost during re-entry, with 16 minutes until touchdown. Another seven astronauts were lost, and the world again mourned the heroes, while wondering if the risks were worth the results. Yet, when the opportunity to explore arose, the shuttles flew again, arranging transport to and from the ISS, among other missions.
Mission Accomplished?
Though the shuttle program will end, other forms of travel are scheduled for launch, some including private enterprise, some including NASA’s efforts, and some including the talents of both. Though the Atlantis signals an end of one era, the unmanned Messenger orbiter recently sent back high-resolution photos of Mercury, answering scientific questions about its impact craters and volcanic activity. In addition, the robot probe “New Horizons” is currently headed to Pluto, the only major planet (or dwarf planet, a controversial designation by the International Astronomical Union), never visited in our solar system. Estimated arrival time: 2015.
So though the Atlantis crew’s 12-day mission will finish a decades-long program, the record-setting travel — which pushed the bounds of exploration -– will continue to affect daily life through many of its discoveries.
When the last shuttle returns, a generation of scientists, astronomers and everyday people will miss the exciting sights and sounds on the launch pad. But though the shuttles will stay Earth-bound, their end will signal a new voyage — one that will send back information unknown to mankind, ensuring that the dream to understand the universe will live on.
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