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Space Shuttle Launch Schedules
Space Shuttle Information
- Space Shuttle Program
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NASA Shuttle
NASA is in charge of all space travel and ordered the production of 5 space shuttles that were built back in the 1970s and 1980s. These shuttles, although built for more than was anticipated, have been fairly valuable, putting many satellites into orbit and giving us quite a bit of information about space. In 2010, they are going to be retired and the Orion manned spacecraft will take over in 2014. This will be the end of the space shuttle era.
Early Space Exploration Eras
United States space exploration can be split up into eras. The first era was the Space Discovery Era, which started on October 1, 1958 with the creation of NASA. This era is characterized by learning about the effects of space of vehicles and people and included both the Mercury and Gemini projects, determining that humans could live in space for long stints. It ended with Kennedy's public speech giving approval of the Apollo project on May 25, 1961. This gave birth to the Lunar Era with a plan for a lunar landing through progressive mission types that would lead up to an eventual lunar landing. The Apollo project did put astronauts on the moon six times before it was cancelled in favor of the space shuttle program.
Later Exploration Eras
The Lunar Era ended on February 18, 1977 when that Space Shuttle Era began with the first flight of the Enterprise shuttle. Although it was not equipped for space travel, focus at this time shifted toward the building of space shuttles as the mode of space travel. This era was marked by space station creations and dockings, most notably the International Space Station, which was completed by the combined efforts of the two largest space programs, NASA and the Russian space program. It is currently a project of many international space programs, although it can not house the number of scientists that were projected. This era will soon draw to an end as concentration shifts from orbiting space stations, to a permanent Moon base and exploration of the solar system through astronaut landings.
Early Space Exploration Eras
United States space exploration can be split up into eras. The first era was the Space Discovery Era, which started on October 1, 1958 with the creation of NASA. This era is characterized by learning about the effects of space of vehicles and people and included both the Mercury and Gemini projects, determining that humans could live in space for long stints. It ended with Kennedy's public speech giving approval of the Apollo project on May 25, 1961. This gave birth to the Lunar Era with a plan for a lunar landing through progressive mission types that would lead up to an eventual lunar landing. The Apollo project did put astronauts on the moon six times before it was cancelled in favor of the space shuttle program.
Later Exploration Eras
The Lunar Era ended on February 18, 1977 when that Space Shuttle Era began with the first flight of the Enterprise shuttle. Although it was not equipped for space travel, focus at this time shifted toward the building of space shuttles as the mode of space travel. This era was marked by space station creations and dockings, most notably the International Space Station, which was completed by the combined efforts of the two largest space programs, NASA and the Russian space program. It is currently a project of many international space programs, although it can not house the number of scientists that were projected. This era will soon draw to an end as concentration shifts from orbiting space stations, to a permanent Moon base and exploration of the solar system through astronaut landings.