Space Shuttle

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The Space Shuttle program's fleet consisted of a total of six orbiters, each with its unique set of features and characteristics. The three that were primarily used as operational vehicles were Columbia, Challenger, and Discovery. Columbia was the first orbiter to be completed and served as the primary vehicle for the early space shuttle missions. It made 28 flights before being destroyed during re-entry on February 1, 2003. Challenger exploded just 73 seconds into its tenth mission, killing all seven crew members on board. This incident occurred on January 28, 1986. Discovery flew the most missions out of any space shuttle with a total of 39 flights over its 26-year career. It was retired from service in March 2011 and is now on display at the National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. The other two orbiters were Atlantis and Endeavour, both of which also flew numerous missions before being retired.