Space Shuttle program

From 1981 until 2011, the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) operated the Space Shuttle program, which provided routine transportation for personnel and cargo from Earth to orbit. The Space Transportation System (STS) was derived from a 1969 design for a reusable spaceship system, of which it was the only component funded for development. It completed 135 flights and transported 355 astronauts from 16 nations, many of whom traveled on several occasions.

The Space Shuttle was made up of an orbiter with two reusable solid rocket boosters and a disposable external fuel tank that was propelled into space. It could carry up to eight people and a payload of up to 50,000 lb (23,000 kg) into low Earth orbit (LEO). The orbiter would reenter the Earth's atmosphere and land like a glider at either the Kennedy Space Center or Edwards Air Force Base after its mission was completed.

Cost: $174 Billion