Space Shuttle Discovery
The Longest Serving Orbiter
Space Shuttle Discovery
The Longest Serving Orbiter
The Space Shuttle Discovery flew every kind of mission an orbiter was meant to fly. As a historical object in the Museum's collection, it embodies the 30-year history of U.S. human spaceflight from 1981 to 2011, the era of the Space Shuttle program.
Jump to: Learn the Basics Meet the Astronauts Tour Discovery Online Discovery at the Museum More Stories About Discovery
What was the Space Shuttle Program?
The Space Shuttle program ran from presidential approval in 1972 to its end in 2011. It was the fourth human spaceflight program carried out by the United States and NASA. The Space Shuttle, officially known as the Space Transportation System (STS), was the first reusable spacecraft to carry humans into orbit.
Discovery is an example of a Space Shuttle orbiter, a component of NASA’s Space Transportation System (STS). The STS consisted of a combination of a Space Shuttle orbiter, solid rocket boosters, and a fuel tank. Discovery was the third Space Shuttle orbiter vehicle to fly in space. It entered service in 1984 and retired from spaceflight in 2011 as the oldest and most accomplished orbiter.
Getting Started
Getting Started
Meet the Crew Members
Over 250 crew members flew aboard Discovery. Many were history-makers before coming aboard, others made history on Discovery, some did both. Meet some of the astronauts who flew aboard Discovery below.
Discovery's Final Launch
This NASA video captures Discovery's final launch on the STS-133 mission to the International Space Station in 2011.
Tour Discovery Online
Take a Closer Look at Discovery's Exterior
Explore a 3D scan of the Space Shuttle Discovery. To begin a guided tour of the 3D scan, click the globe icon in the top left of the 3D scan interface, or explore on your own!
Take a Closer Look at Discovery's Interior
Curator Dr. Jennifer Levasseur takes us on a tour inside of Space Shuttle Discovery, on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.
Discovery at the Museum
In 2012, Discovery took to the sky one final time—this time atop the modified NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA). It's destination? The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, where Discovery is now on permanent display.
Discovery's Arrival at the Museum
Before its arrival at Washington Dulles International Airport, Discovery was flown over large crowds in Washington, DC. After being offloaded from the SCA, it was pulled to the Udvar-Hazy Center for a nose-to-nose meeting with Space Shuttle Enterprise. In this video, watch as Discovery flies over the National Mall on April 17, 2012.
Caring for Discovery
Caring for Discovery
