Blastoff from the Past: A Look Back at the Space Shuttle
During 30 years of service, the shuttles shaped the exploration of space.
The final launch of Atlantis marks the end of the U.S. space shuttle program. The program was approved by President Nixon in 1972 as NASA’s main undertaking after Apollo, and the first shuttle mock-up (shown above) was constructed at NASA’s Marshall Spaceflight Center in Alabama. Approximately the same dimensions and weight of the actual space shuttle, the mock-up was used to train workers; it is now on display at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Alabama.
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