Space Shuttle Orbiter

Space Shuttle orbiter

Discovery approaches the ISS on STS-121
Manufacturer	Rockwell International
Country of origin	United States
Operator	NASA
Applications	Crew and cargo spaceplane
Specifications
Regime	Low Earth orbit
Production
Status	Retired
Built	6
Launched	5 orbiters 135 missions
Retired	Space Shuttle Atlantis STS-135 July 21, 2011
Lost	2 orbiters
First launch	Space Shuttle Columbia STS-1 April 12, 1981
Last launch	Space Shuttle Atlantis STS-135 July 8, 2011

The Space Shuttle orbiter was the reusable spaceplane component of the Space Shuttle program. Operated by NASA, the U.S. space agency, this vehicle could carry astronauts and payloads into low Earth orbit, perform in-space operations, then re-enter the atmosphere and land as a glider, returning its crew and any on-board payload to the Earth.

Six orbiters were built for flight: Enterprise, Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour. All were built in Palmdale, California, by the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based Rockwell International company. The first orbiter, Enterprise, made its maiden flight in 1977. An unpowered glider, it was carried by a modified Boeing 747 airliner called the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft and released for a series of atmospheric test flights and landings. Enterprise was partially disassembled and retired after completion of critical testing. The remaining orbiters were fully operational spacecraft, and were launched vertically as part of the Space Shuttle stack.

Columbia was the first space-worthy orbiter, and made its inaugural flight in 1981. Challenger, Discovery, and Atlantis followed in 1983, 1984 and 1985 respectively. In 1986, Challenger was destroyed in an accident shortly after launch. Endeavour was built as Challenger's replacement, and was first launched in 1992. In 2003, Columbia was destroyed during re-entry, leaving just three remaining orbiters. Discovery completed its final flight on March 9, 2011, and Endeavour completed its final flight on June 1, 2011. Atlantis completed the last ever Shuttle flight, STS-135, on July 21, 2011.