Source: US News and World Report
1. The space shuttle was the first reusable, human-carrying spacecraft designed to orbit around Earth.
2. Space shuttles have four fundamental elements: the orbiter craft, two rocket boosters, an external fuel tank, and the engines.
3. NASA contracted Rockwell International to manufacture the first shuttles. Lockheed Space Operations Co. was contracted to carry out initial testing and launch procedures.
4. NASA released its shuttle prototype, the Enterprise, on Sept. 17, 1976. It was used only for testing and never launched into space.
5. Columbia became the first shuttle to fly in space, launching on the 20th anniversary of the first human space flight, April 12, 1981.
6. With the advent of the space shuttle, the astronaut corps broadened to include not only pilots, but also scientists and engineers who were responsible for mission tasks such as data collection.
7. A typical shuttle mission carries seven crew members and up to 65,000 pounds of cargo. In emergency situations, 10 astronauts can fit aboard.
8. U.S. shuttles still in use include Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour. Challenger and Columbia were destroyed in accidents in 1986 and 2003 respectively.
9. To date, NASA has completed 130 space shuttle missions. One mission, STS-131, is now in progress, and three more are planned before the end of the program.
10. The remaining shuttle missions will follow up on module construction at the International Space Station.