Telling the Tale

Hungry for knowledge about the history of the Space Shuttle program? Have I got a feast for you! Of course, the Space Shuttle program played out from 1981 to 2011, with orbiters accomplishing everything from construction of the International Space Station to hauling scientific devices into orbit, including the Hubble Space Telescope – a launch in 1990 that I was fortunate to witness standing next to Kennedy Space Center’s legendary countdown clock.

The crew of STS-135 visit launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in advance of the final mission of the Space Shuttle program. Photo: Frank Moriarty/Aerospace Perceptions

All of the Space Shuttle missions from STS-1 to STS-135 can be found visually represented through at least hundreds – but usually thousands – of images for each and every flight:

https://www.wikiarchives.space/index.php?/category/9

As we know all too well, no tale as long as that of the Space Shuttle program can unfold without elements of tragedy and loss as well as glory, and the disasters that claimed the orbiters Challenger and Columbia are not glossed over.

With well over 600,000 images in total, it’s an incredible time soak for anyone with an interest in the Space Shuttle program. But it’s also just the proverbial tip of the iceberg, as you will find “The Human Spaceflight Archive” right here:

https://www.wikiarchives.space/index.php?/category/1

Fortunately, this archive is not a data repository of the United States government, which eliminates the danger of Elon Musk and his DOGE minions deciding to rewrite history for our current petulant president. After all, NASA and all aspects of the American space program program have been built and succeed on the shoulders of thousands of women and a diverse assemblage of people from a myriad of countries and ethnic backgrounds. Those facts will hopefully never be forgotten.