The.Space.Shuttles.Last.Flight.2011.HDTV.XviD-FTP
Millions of Americans followed the space shuttle Atlantis’ final mission this week, which was the last of the 30-year-old shuttle program. Atlantis touched down early Thursday in Florida and was showered with accolades.
The attention was well deserved. The shuttle’s career was remarkable — in 135 missions, space shuttle crews conducted hundreds of experiments, launched numerous satellites and built the International Space Station. Shuttle crews have deployed and repaired the Hubble telescope, which has advanced understanding of the universe.
Not all was perfect. NASA lost two shuttles and their crews in tragic accidents — the Challenger in 1986 and the Columbia in 2003. Despite those disasters and the inherent danger involved, one of the most remarkable legacies of the program is that it made space travel seem like no big deal. Many missions came and went with little notice.
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