On August 30, 1984, the Space Shuttle Discovery successfully launched on its maiden voyage, after three previous attempts were scrubbed. The initial mission, STS-41-D, had six people aboard, including the first commercially sponsored payload specialist to ride on the Space Shuttle. Despite its troubled beginnings, the mission went relatively smoothly, with three satellites deployed and successful experiments conducted. Discovery landed safely at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Sept. 5, 1984, after traveling a total of 2.5 million miles and completing 97 revolutions around the planet.
Unfortunately, tragedy struck on January 28, 1986, when Space Shuttle Challenger exploded, killing all seven astronauts on board, including Judith Resnik from the Discovery mission. Despite this setback, Discovery continued to fly 39 missions over the course of its 27 years in service. Notable achievements included deploying the Hubble Space Telescope and launching the Ulysses spacecraft, which explored the sun. After its final flight, STS-133, on February 24, 2011, Discovery was decommissioned along with the other remaining space shuttles at the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program.
Discovery, the third of the original five Space Shuttle orbiters, was the oldest remaining shuttle at the time of its decommission. The Space Shuttle program consisted of six reusable orbiters, including Enterprise, Columbia, Challenger, Atlantis, and Endeavour. Enterprise was only used for testing purposes and never flew into space, while Columbia and Challenger were both destroyed in accidents. Following its decommission, NASA donated Discovery to the National Air and Space Museum, where it is on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.
The Space Shuttle Discovery’s final mission, STS-133, took off on February 24, 2011, carrying astronauts into space for nearly 13 days before safely returning to Earth. The Space Shuttle program saw its conclusion with the final mission, STS-135, which saw Atlantis return to Earth on July 21, 2011. Discovery’s legacy lives on at the National Air and Space Museum, where visitors can see the historic spacecraft up close and learn about its contributions to space exploration. Despite its early setbacks, Discovery played a crucial role in advancing scientific research and expanding our understanding of the universe.
