2014 Event NASA outsources its role in space travel by awarding a $4.2 billion contract to Boeing and a $2.6 billion contract to Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) to shuttle astronauts between Earth and the International Space Station 2012 Event The U.S. Space Shuttle Endeavor inches through the streets of Los Angeles on a trolley, making its way to a museum 2011 Event NASA reveals its Space Launch System plan, intended to replace the Space Shuttle program with its first flight scheduled for 2017 2011 Event Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announces the country's plan to launch a manned shuttle into space by 2019 2011 Event Space Shuttle Atlantis takes off to conduct the final mission of the U.S. Space Shuttle program 2011 Event Executing its final mission, Space Shuttle Endeavor successfully undocks from the International Space Station to return to earth 2011 Event Crewmembers of the Endeavour space shuttle Mike Fincke and Greg Chamitoff take what is potentially the last spacewalk ever conducted by a space shuttle crew 2010 Event U.S. Space Shuttle Endeavor launches from the Kennedy Space Center, successfully beginning a two-week mission to the International Space Station 2008 Event Space Shuttle Atlantis, STS-122, launches to deliver laboratory to the ISS 2007 Event Space Shuttle Atlantis, STS-117, begins mission 2005 Event Shuttle Discovery STS-114 launches, first flight since Columbia disaster 2003 Event Space Shuttle Columbia destroyed over Texas when returning to Earth, 7 crew members are killed 1997 Event Space Shuttle Atlantis Returns to Earth, Successful 1997 Event Space Shuttle Atlantis docks with Mir Space Station 1997 Event Space Shuttle STS-81 (Atlantis 18), launches into space 1996 Event Space Shuttle STS-80 (Columbia 21), lands 1996 Event Space Shuttle STS-80 (Columbia 21), launches into space 1996 Event Space Shuttle STS-79 (Atlantis 17), lands 1996 Event Space Shuttle STS-79 (Atlantis 17), launches into space 1996 Event Space Shuttle STS-78, Columbia 20, lands 1996 Event Space Shuttle STS-78, Columbia 20, launches into space 1996 Event Space Shuttle STS-77 Endeavour 11 lands 1996 Event Space Shuttle STS-76 (Atlantis 16), lands 1996 Event Space Shuttle STS-72 (Endeavour 10), launches into space 1995 Event Space shuttle Atlantis docks with orbiting Russian space station Mir 1995 Event Space shuttle STS-69 (Endeavour 9), lands 1995 Event Space shuttle STS-70, Discovery 20, lands 1995 Event Space shuttle STS-70, Discovery 20, launches 1995 Event Space shuttle STS-71, Atlantis 14, lands 1995 Event Space shuttle STS-71 (Atlantis 14), launches 1995 Event Space shuttle STS-67 (Endeavour 8), launches 1995 Event Space shuttle STS-63 (Discovery 19), lands 1995 Event U.S. space shuttle Discovery launched 1994 Event Space shuttle STS-66 (Atlantis 13), lands 1994 Event Space shuttle STS-66 (Atlantis 13), launches 1994 Event Space shuttle STS-68 (Endeavour 7), lands 1994 Event Space shuttle STS-68 (Endeavour 7), launches into orbit 1994 Event Space shuttle STS-64 (Discovery 20), lands 1994 Event Space shuttle STS-64 (Discovery 20), launches into orbit 1994 Event Space shuttle STS-65: Columbia 17, lands after record 14 days 55 minutes 1994 Event Space shuttle STS-65 (Columbia 17), launches 1994 Event Space shuttle STS-59 (Endeavour 6), lands 1994 Event Space shuttle STS-62 (Columbia 16), lands 1994 Event Space shuttle STS-62 (Columbia 16), launches into orbit 1994 Event Space shuttle STS-60 (Discovery 18), lands 1993 Event Space shuttle STS-61 (Endeavour 5), lands 1993 Event Space shuttle STS-61 (Endeavour 5), launches 1992 Event Space Shuttle STS-52 (Columbia 13) lands (scheduled) 1992 Event Space Shuttle STS-52 (Columbia 13) launches into space 1992 Event U.S. Mars Observer launched from Space shuttle 1992 Event Space shuttle STS-47 (Endeavour 2) lands 1992 Event Space Shuttle STS-50 (Columbia 13) lands 1992 Event U.S. space shuttle STS-49 lands (maiden voyage of Endeavour) 1992 Event U.S. space shuttle STS-49 launched (maiden voyage of Endeavour) 1992 Event Trump Shuttle becomes U.S. Air Shuttle 1992 Event Space Shuttle STS-45, Atlantis 11, lands 1992 Event Space Shuttle STS-45 (Atlantis 11) launches into space 1992 Event 1st Belgium in the space, Dirk Frimout on Atlantis Space Shuttle STS-45 (Atlantis 11) launches into space 1992 Event Space Shuttle STS-42 (Discovery 15) lands 1992 Event Space Shuttle STS-42 (Discovery 15) launches into space 1991 Event Space shuttle STS-48 (Discovery 14) lands 1991 Event Space shuttle STS-48 (Discovery 14) launched 1991 Event Space shuttle STS-43 (Atlantis 9) lands 1991 Event Space shuttle STS-43 (Atlantis 9) launched 1991 Event Space Shuttle STS-40 (Columbia 12) lands 1991 Event Space Shuttle STS-40 (Columbia 12) launched 1991 Event Space Shuttle STS-39 (Discovery 12) lands 1991 Event Space Shuttle STS-39 (Discovery 12) launched 1991 Event Space Shuttle STS-37, Atlantis 8, lands 1991 Event Space Shuttle STS-37, Atlantis 8, launched 1990 Event Space Shuttle STS-35 (Columbia 11) lands 1990 Event Hubble space telescope is placed into orbit by shuttle Discovery 1989 Event U.S. Venus probe Magellan launched from Space shuttle 1989 Event U.S. space shuttle STS-28 lands 1989 Event U.S. space shuttle STS-28 launched 1989 Event U.S. space shuttle STS-30 lands 1989 Event U.S. space shuttle STS-30 launched 1989 Event Donald Trump purchases Eastern's Northeast Shuttle 1989 Event 27th space shuttle mission, STS-29 (Discovery 8), returns to Earth 1989 Event 27th shuttle, Discovery 8, launched, 1st woman to do the countdown 1989 Event U.S. space shuttle STS-29 launched 1988 Event Shuttle Atlantis launches world's 1st nuclear-war-fighting satellite 1988 Event Soviet space shuttle makes unmanned maiden flight (2 orbits) 1988 Event Soviets 1st scheduled shuttle launch (postponed) 1988 Event 26th Space Shuttle Mission, Discovery 7 returns to Earth after 4-days 1988 Event 26th Space Shuttle mission, Discovery 7 launched 1988 Event U.S. space shuttle STS-26 launched 1987 Event Rockwell International awarded contract to build a 5th shuttle 1986 Event NASA publishes "Strategy for Safely Returning the Space Shuttle to Flight Status" 1986 Event Space Shuttle Challenger 10 explodes 73 sec after liftoff 1986 Event 24th Space Shuttle (61-C) Mission-Columbia 7-returns to Earth 1986 Event 24th space shuttle (61-C) mission-Columbia 7-launched 1985 Event 23rd Shuttle Mission (61-B)-Atlantis 2-lands at Edwards AFB 1985 Event 23rd Space Shuttle Mission (61-B)-Atlantis 2-is launched 1985 Event 22nd Space Shuttle Mission (61A) -Challenger 9- lands at Edwards AFB 1985 Event Space shuttle Challenger lands at Edwards AFB California 1985 Event 22nd Space Shuttle Mission (61-A)-Challenger 9-launched 1985 Event Shuttle Columbia carries Spacelab into orbit 1985 Event 21st Space Shuttle Mission (51-J)-Atlantis 1 lands at Edwards AFB 1985 Event 21st Shuttle Mission (51J)-Atlantis 1-all-military flight launched 1985 Event 20th Space Shuttle Mission (51-I)-Discovery 6-returns to Earth 1985 Event 20th Space Shuttle Mission (51-I)-Discovery 6-launched 1985 Event 19th space shuttle mission (51-F), Challenger 8, lands at Edwards AFB 1985 Event 19th Space Shuttle Mission (51-F)-Challenger 8-launched 1985 Event Christa McAuliffe chosen 1st school teacher to fly space shuttle 1985 Event 18th Space Shuttle Mission (51-G)-Discovery 5 returns to Earth 1985 Event 18th Space Shuttle Mission (51-G)-Discovery 5 launched 1985 Event 17th Space Shuttle Mission (51-B)-Challenger 7 lands at Edwards AFB 1985 Event 17th space shuttle mission (51-B)-Challenger 7 launched 1985 Event 16th Space Shuttle Mission (51-D)-Discovery 4 returns to Earth 1985 Event 16th Shuttle Mission (51D)-Discovery 4 launched-with Senator Jake Garn 1985 Event 15th Space Shuttle (51-C) Mission-Discovery 3 returns to Earth 1985 Event 15th Space Shuttle (51-C) Mission-Discovery 3 is launched 1984 Event 14th Shuttle Mission (51A) -Discovery 2- lands at Kennedy Center 1984 Event Space shuttle astronauts retreive a satellite - 1st space salvage 1984 Event 13th Space Shuttle Mission (41-G)-Challenger 6-launched 1984 Event 12th Space Shuttle Mission (41-D) -Discovery 1- lands at Edwards AFB 1984 Event 12th Space Shuttle Mission (41-D)-Discovery 1-launched (6 days) 1984 Event 1st flight of Shuttle Discovery (41-D) scrubbed at T -4 1984 Event 11th Space Shuttle Mission (41C)-Challenger 5-returns to Earth 1984 Event Damaged Solar Max satellite snared by Challenger shuttle 1984 Event 11th Space Shuttle Mission (41-C)-Challenger 5 is launched 1984 Event 10th space shuttle mission (41-B)-Challenger 4-returns to Earth 1984 Event 10th Space Shuttle Mission (41B)-Challenger 4 launched 1984 Event Space Shuttle 41-B (STS-11) Challenger launched 1983 Event 9th Space Shuttle Mission - Columbia 6 - lands at Edwards AFB 1983 Event 9th Space Shuttle Mission Columbia 6 is launched 1983 Event 8th Space Shuttle Mission-Challenger 3-lands at Edwards AFB 1983 Event 8th Space Shuttle Mission-Challenger 3-launched (6 days) 1983 Event 7th Space Shuttle Mission-Challenger 2 lands at Edwards AFB 1983 Event 1st time a satellite is retrieved from orbit, by Space Shuttle 1983 Event 7th Shuttle Mission-Challenger 2 launched-Sally Ride 1st U.S. woman 1983 Event 6th Space Shuttle Mission-Challenger 1 returns to Earth 1983 Event 6th space shuttle mission, Challenger 1 launched 1982 Event 5th Space Shuttle Mission-Columbia 5-lands at Edwards AFB 1982 Event Space Shuttle Columbia completes its 1st operational flight 1982 Event 5th space shuttle mission-Columbia 5-launched 1st coml flight 1982 Event 4th Space Shuttle Mission-Columbia 4 lands at Edwards AFB 1982 Event 3rd space shuttle mission-Columbia 3 lands at White Sands, NM 1982 Event 3rd Space Shuttle Mission-Columbia 3 launched 1982 Event Columbia Shuttle moves to Vandenberg AFB for mating for STS-3 mission 1981 Event 2nd Space Shuttle Mission-Columbia 2-returns to Earth 1981 Event 2nd shuttle mission-1st time spacecraft launched twice (Columbia 2) 1981 Event Columbia shuttle launch scrubbed with 31 seconds remaining 1981 Event Space Shuttle vehicle moves to Launch Complex 39A for STS-2 mission 1981 Event Columbia space shuttle returns 1981 Event Maiden voyage of space shuttle Columbia 1981 Event Computer glitch keeps Space Shuttle Columbia grounded 1981 Event 2 workers killed in space shuttle Columbia accident 1980 Event Shuttle STS-1 moves from Vandenberg AFB to Launch Complex 39A 1979 Event 1st space shuttle SRB qualification test firing; 122 seconds 1979 Event Columbia flies on Shuttle carrier aircraft to Kennedy Space Center 1979 Event Shuttle Columbia (OV-102) transported 38 miles overland from Palmdale 1978 Event Thiokol conducts 2nd test firing of space shuttle's SRB 1977 Event 5th and final test of space shuttle Enterprise 1977 Event 4th test of space shuttle Enterprise 1977 Event 3rd test of Space Shuttle Enterprise 1977 Event Space shuttle Enterprise makes 1st atmospheric flight 1977 Event 1st free flight test of space shuttle Enterprise 1977 Event Space Shuttle test model "Enterprise" carries a crew aloft for 1st time, It was fixed to a modified Boeing 747 1977 Event 1st flight of Space Shuttle (atop a Boeing 747) 1977 Event Shuttle Enterprise makes 1st Test flight atop a 747 jetliner 1977 Event Space Shuttle above a Boeing 747 goes on it's maiden flight 1976 Event 4th Space Shuttle Enterprise, approach and land test (ALT) flight 1976 Event NASA publicly unveils space shuttle Enterprise in Palmdale, California 1976 Event Thiokol conducts 2-minute firing of space shuttle's SRB at Brigham, Utah 1975 Event 1st Space Shuttle main engine test at National Space Tech Labs, Miss 1975 Event Rollout of 1st space shuttle orbiter Enterprise (OV-101) 1973 Event BART starts SF-Daly City train shuttle service 1972 Event Rockwell receives NASA contract to construct Space Shuttle 1972 Event NASA selects 3 part configuration for Space Shuttle 1972 Event NASA announces development of space shuttle 1972 Event President Nixon signs a bill for NASA to begin research on manned shuttle 1961 Event 1st shuttle flights between Washington D.C., Boston and New York City begin (Eastern) 1704 Birthday John Kay, England, machinist, invented flying shuttle
