Nasa Space Shuttle: The most remarkable flying machine

“This is the world’s greatest flying machine, I’ll tell you that,” proclaimed NASA astronaut John Young, Commander of the first Space Shuttle flight, when its wheels stopped after landing on 14 April 1981, 30 years ago.

Because of its age, cost of operations and a new mission for NASA to explore beyond Earth orbit, the Space Shuttle will retire this year, just after its 30th anniversary.

“In 135 missions, with two catastrophic failures, the US Space Shuttle proved itself a vehicle filled with contradictions and inconsistencies,” says Roger Launius, former Chief Historian for NASA, now Senior Curator at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

ESA - Space Shuttle - A remarkable flying machine