What is the Space Shuttle?
It's the most sophisticated human-rated launch vehicle in the history of space flight. Since the first flight in 1981, the space shuttle has completed more than 100 missions and carried more than 600 passengers into space. The fleet has accumulated more than 2.5 years in orbit and yet has 75 percent of its design life remaining.
The shuttle is the only reusable system capable of transporting both people and cargo to and from low-Earth orbit. The shuttle is capable of orbital rendezvous and docking, on-orbit satellite recovery and servicing, and simultaneous intravehicular and extravehicular activities. The shuttle routinely deploys, retrieves, and repairs critical space assets and provides a habitable space research platform in low-Earth orbit.
Building and sustaining the International Space Station
Building the International Space Station is the world's largest construction project in space, assembling hundreds of tons of hardware from more than 16 participating countries. The shuttle acts as the space station's heavy-lift cargo vehicle, having lifted nearly two-thirds of the structure currently in orbit. Once the International Space Station is completed, the shuttle will be retired around 2010 according to the Vision for Space Exploration.
The space shuttle is just now hitting its prime.
To meet its challenging missions, the shuttle must be continually maintained and modernized. The shuttle has undergone thousands of improvements, resulting in increased safety, performance, and reliability while reducing costs 30 percent during its 20 years of operations.
Among other improvements, the shuttle flight deck design has undergone significant modifications to enhance crew safety, including the addition of a new glass cockpit similar to those of modern airliners. Future improvements will lower overall maintenance costs of the shuttle while increasing safety, performance and reliability.
Boeing serves as a major subcontractor to United Space Alliance, providing overall shuttle systems integration and payload integration services. As builder of the space shuttle, Boeing maintains primary technical responsibility for support of the shuttle fleet and production of the space shuttle main engines. The company provides launch and mission support and orbiter turnaround servicing between flights.
Until the International Space Station is complete and the Crew Exploration Vehicle becomes operational, the shuttle will remain the nation's primary human-rated launch vehicle. Boeing is committed to keeping the space shuttle operational and flying safely to meet the nation's need for human access to space.