40 years ago, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit the Earth. The original idea behind the shuttle program, announced by President Nixon in 1972, was to develop a fleet of reusable space vehicles that could be frequently and inexpensively used to ferry people and materials into orbit. The first four missions of the shuttle were test flights to evaluate the craft's engineering design, thermal characteristics, and performance in space. Later, the shuttles would be used to ferry satellites into orbit and retrieve them for repair, perform science experiments, and help construct the International Space Station. However, the shuttle program never was quite as successful as had been hoped.
Many programs are in the works, looking to design the next generation of space vehicles.
Some of these efforts come from within NASA, such as the Second Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle Program , the successor to the X-33 program. Other projects are being developed by private companies and consortiums. Inc. All Rights Reserved.