Historical Timeline

Historical Timeline Screenshot

Captures some of the remarkable milestones of Space Shuttle's 30-year history.

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Historical Narratives

Oral and Narrative Histories - Space Shuttle image

Captures anecdotes and perspectives from the individuals who first provided the country and the world with an avenue to space and the moon.

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Educational Page

Shuttle Educational Page Screenshot

A look back at the Space Shuttle's historic missions, the people it flew into space, and its achievements.

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3-D Shuttle Flythrough

A screenshot of the 3-D shuttle flythrough movie

A 3-D flythrough of the shuttle, from the outside in.

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3-D Point Cloud Data

A 3-D wireframe depiction of the shuttle

3-D point cloud data coming soon!

Space Shuttle Orbiters
The Space Shuttle has three operational Orbiter vehicles (Atlantis, Discovery, and Endeavor) and contains the pressurized crew compartment that carries up to seven astronauts at one time.
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Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs)
The three Space Shuttle Main Engines, in conjunction with the Solid Rocket Boosters, provide the thrust to lift the Orbiter off the ground for the initial ascent.
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Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs)
The Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) operate in parallel with the main engines for the first two minutes of flight to provide the additional thrust needed for the Orbiter to escape the gravitational pull of the Earth.
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External Tank (ET)
The External Tank, or ET, is the "gas tank" for the Orbiter; it contains the propellants used by the Space Shuttle Main Engines.
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Shuttle Panoramic Images
View the shuttle in 3-D from several angles.
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Overview

    Space Shuttle Recordation Activity

    Image of Space Transportation System showing the location of the orbiter, space shuttle main engines, solid rocket boosters, and external tank.
    Figure: Space Shuttle Stack Depicted on Crawler
    When Space Shuttle Atlantis landed at Kennedy Space Center on July 21, 2011, it marked the conclusion of the final Shuttle mission and the end to a 30-year era of Shuttle flights. The Space Shuttle Program is now entering a retirement and closeout phase, and NASA is undertaking recordation activities to compile historical and educational information of the Space Transportation System (more commonly referred to as the Space Shuttle) and its Stack elements (Orbiters, External Tank, Space Shuttle Main Engines, and Solid Rocket Boosters). Johnson Space Center (JSC in Houston, TX) and NASA Headquarters (located in Washington, DC) is leading the effort in partnership with external stakeholders: The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the State Historic Preservation Offices of AL, CA, FL, and TX.

    This website serves as a public outreach tool that will house the Space Shuttle Recordation Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) amongst the aforementioned stakeholders, the status of the Recordation effort, and upon completion, and the final Space Shuttle Recordation Package.

    The Memorandum of Agreement, which includes NASA’s mitigation strategy, can be accessed in its entirety through the following links: