The space shuttle was America’s iconic spaceship for 30 years, lifting 355 astronauts into orbit and teaching NASA how to work confidently and expertly in space. The shuttles spent 1,323 days in orbit; deployed 180 satellites, payloads, and space station components; and returned 52 of them to Earth. Thirty-seven shuttle missions built and supplied the International Space Station (ISS), and nine docked at the Russian Mir station. Using the Spacelab and SPACEHAB modules, the shuttles paved the way for full-time research at the ISS. The orbiters launched three Great Observatories into orbit and repeatedly repaired and upgraded the Hubble Space Telescope.
Four-time NASA astronaut, planetary scientist, and author Tom Jones looks at the shuttle’s legacy through the eyes of the more than 130 fellow space fliers he interviewed for his most recent book, Space Shuttle Stories (Smithsonian Books). Jones shares the shuttle’s triumphs and tragedies through spectacular images and heartfelt tales from the astronauts who flew it into history.
Signed copies of Space Shuttle Stories are available for purchase.
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