Deutsche Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)

European Space Agency (ESA)

This astronaut crossed the Kármán Line (100 km), the internationally accepted boundary of space.

Crossed Kármán Line

STS-99 (Endeavour)

The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission was a joint NASA-German flight to create the most complete high-resolution digital topographic database of Earth.

The first reusable launch and landing spacecraft, the Space Shuttle began a new chapter of human space exploration. It launched like a rocket but landed on a runway like a plane. Shuttle crews deployed dozens of commercial satellites and two interplanetary probes to Venus and Jupiter. The Shuttle served as a mini space station and hosted hundreds of biomedical, psychological, physiological, materials science, and physics experiments that have directly benefited life on Earth. The five flight-worthy Shuttles -- Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour -- flew 135 missions over 30 years. The Shuttles helped construct the Russian Mir space station and brought nearly 80% of the International Space Station to orbit. Shuttles also deployed and serviced the Hubble Space Telescope.

Space Shuttle

Gerhard Thiele

Germany

NASDA

STS-47 (Endeavour)

STS-47 was the 50th flight of the Space Shuttle and was co-sponsored by NASA and Japan. The crew performed 44 life and materials science experiments. The flight marked the first (and to date, only) time a married couple has flown in space together.

Mamoru Mohri

Japan

NASA

This astronaut has spent over a month in space.

Space Resident

STS-57 (Endeavour)

This multifaceted mission saw the crew perform numerous biomedical and materials science experiments, retrieve ESA's European Retrievable Carrier satellite, and perform a spacewalk to test the Space Shuttle arm's ability to perform fine maneuvers while carrying a high-mass object.

STS-63 (Discovery)

The second Shuttle-Mir mission saw Discovery approach the station and fly around it, testing critical approach and docking systems for future Shuttle-Mir flights. The mission was the first time a woman piloted a U.S. spacecraft.

STS-83 (Columbia)

This planned 16-day mission was cut short after just 4 days when one of three critical electricity-producing fuel cells quit working. NASA made the unprecedented decision to refly the entire mission -- same vehicle (Columbia), same crew, same payloads -- as soon as possible.

STS-94 (Columbia)

This reflight of STS-83 marked the only time to date that a human space mission was completely reflown with the same crew, vehicle, and experiments. This time the flight was a success.

Janice E. Voss

United States of America

STS-78 (Columbia)

This international Life and Microgravity Spacelab mission from NASA, ESA, and Canada featured more than 40 experiments designed to validate long duration space station missions.

STS-87 (Columbia)

This science mission saw the first spacewalk performed by a Japanese astronaut and continued spacewalk testing of construction and maintenance procedures for the upcoming International Space Station.

STS-70 (Discovery)

Discovery launched NASA's seventh TDRS satellite. The flight was delayed several weeks when woodpeckers, trying to nest on the External Tank, put 71 holes in its insulating foam.

Kevin R. Kregel

This astronaut visited the International Space Station.

ISS Visitor

STS-123 (Endeavour)

During this first of three Space Shuttle flights to assemble the Japanese Kibo laboratory complex, Endeavour's crew delivered the Japanese Experiment Logistics Module to the International Space Station. The mission also rotated an ISS crewmember and brought Canada's human-esque DEXTRE robot to the outpost.

STS-91 (Discovery)

This was the ninth and final Space Shuttle docking to Space Station Mir and Discovery's only trip to the Russian space station. Discovery's crew tested new robotic arm software and the Orbiter Space Vision System that would be needed during construction of the International Space Station. This flight returned the final long duration NASA astronaut from Mir.

STS-108 (Endeavour)

The first Space Shuttle mission after the September 11th attacks, this flight's launch time was classified for added security, a practice that would continue through January 2003. The flight resupplied the International Space Station and rotated the Expedition 3 and 4 crews.

Dominic L. P. Gorie

STS-104 (Atlantis)

Atlantis' crew delivered the Quest Joint Airlock to the International Space Station.

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