Space Shuttle
Major events
Below is a list of major events in the Space Shuttle orbiter fleet. Sources: NASA launch manifest, NASA Space Shuttle archive

Space Shuttle

Section Title: Major events
Table Section Text: Below is a list of major events in the Space Shuttle orbiter fleet. Sources: NASA launch manifest, NASA Space Shuttle archive

Date	Orbiter	Major event / remarks

September 17, 1976	Enterprise	Prototype Space Shuttle Enterprise was rolled out of its assembly facility in Southern California and displayed before a crowd of several thousand people.

February 18, 1977	Enterprise	First flight; Attached to Shuttle Carrier Aircraft throughout flight.

August 12, 1977	Enterprise	First free flight; Tailcone on; lakebed landing.

October 26, 1977	Enterprise	Final Enterprise free flight; First landing on Edwards AFB concrete runway.

April 12, 1981	Columbia	First Columbia flight, first orbital test flight; STS-1

November 11, 1982	Columbia	First operational flight of the Space Shuttle, first mission to carry four astronauts; STS-5

April 4, 1983	Challenger	First Challenger flight; STS-6

August 30, 1984	Discovery	First Discovery flight; STS-41-D

October 3, 1985	Atlantis	First Atlantis flight; STS-51-J

October 30, 1985	Challenger	First and only crew of eight astronauts; STS-61-A

January 28, 1986	Challenger	Loss of vehicle 73 seconds after launch; STS-51-L; all seven crew members died.

September 29, 1988	Discovery	First post-Challenger mission; STS-26

May 4, 1989	Atlantis	The first Space Shuttle mission to launch an interplanetary probe, Magellan; STS-30

April 24, 1990	Discovery	Launch of the Hubble Space Telescope; STS-31

May 7, 1992	Endeavour	First Endeavour flight; STS-49

February 3, 1995	Discovery	First rendezvous with the Russian space station Mir. First female shuttle pilot, Eileen Collins; STS-63

November 19, 1996	Columbia	Longest Shuttle mission at 17 days, 15 hours; STS-80

December 4, 1998	Endeavour	First ISS mission; STS-88

July 23, 1999	Columbia	Launch of the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. First mission commanded by a woman, Eileen Collins; STS-93

February 1, 2003	Columbia	Disintegrated during re-entry; STS-107; all seven crew members died.

July 25, 2005	Discovery	First post-Columbia mission; STS-114

February 24, 2011	Discovery	Last Discovery flight; STS-133

May 16, 2011	Endeavour	Last Endeavour mission; STS-134

July 8, 2011	Atlantis	Last Atlantis flight and last Space Shuttle flight; STS-135

Sentence(s)

The system was retired from service after Atlantis making the final launch on July 8, 2011.

final_sentence: The system was retired from service after Atlantis making the final launch on July 8, 2011.