Space Shuttle Discovery - National Air and Space Museum Discovery was the third Space Shuttle orbiter vehicle to fly in space It entered service in 1984 and retired from spaceflight as the oldest and most utilized orbiter Discovery was flown on 39 Earth-orbital missions, spent a total of 365 days in space, and traveled almost 240 million kilometers (150 million miles)--more than the other orbiters It shuttled 184 men and women into space and
Space Shuttle Discovery - National Air and Space Museum Discovery was the third Space Shuttle orbiter vehicle to fly in space It entered service in 1984 and retired from spaceflight as the oldest and most utilized orbiter Discovery was flown on 39 Earth-orbital missions, spent a total of 365 days in space, and traveled almost 240 million kilometers (150 million miles)--more than the other orbiters
Forty Years of Discovery - National Air and Space Museum In total, six of unique Space Shuttle orbiters were built but Discovery stands out with the greatest flight history record: 39 missions and 365 total days spent in space That’s quite a feat for the journeys the orbiter took, but it’s also a testament to the team that made each of those flights possible On its 40th anniversary, Discovery’s curator Jennifer Levasseur takes a look at
Space Shuttle program - National Air and Space Museum The Space Shuttle program ran from presidential approval in 1972 to its end in 2011 It was the fourth human spaceflight program carried out by the United States and NASA The Space Shuttle, officially known as the Space Transportation System (STS), was the first reusable spacecraft to carry humans into orbit
Space Shuttle Discovery - National Air and Space Museum The space shuttle Discovery is the centerpiece of the James S McDonnell Space Hangar at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va
5 Unusual Facts About Space Shuttle Discovery On August 30, 1984, Space Shuttle Discovery took off on its first mission—beginning its nearly 30 years of space exploration When Discovery retired in 2011, it was NASA’s oldest and most accomplished orbiter It flew nearly 150 million miles and spent 365 days in space, flying just about every type of mission during the shuttle era
When Enterprise Met Discovery - National Air and Space Museum In 2012, Discovery took its final flight to the Udvar-Hazy Center Enterprise is now on display at the the Intrepid Sea, Air Space Museum in New York City The National Air and Space Museum is home to Space Shuttle Discovery, a magnificent spacecraft that flew almost 150 million miles in space
Visit the National Air and Space Museum Explore even more air and space in two giant hangars filled with over 3,000 aviation and space objects including the Space Shuttle Discovery and Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird