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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_space_shuttle_missions

This is a list of missions flown by space shuttles. As of 2009, only the United States has flown human spaceflight shuttle missions in the Space Shuttle program, while the Soviet Union flew one unmanned flight of the Buran.

Flight numbering

The shuttle is officially referred to as the Space Transportation System (STS). Specific shuttle missions are therefore designated with the prefix "STS." Initially, the launches were given sequential numbers indicating order of launch, such as STS-9. This scheme continued for 25 launches and 8 cancellations through STS-33.

Beginning in 1984, each mission was also assigned a code, such as STS-41-B, with the first digit indicating the federal fiscal year offset into the program (so 41-B was scheduled for FY 1984, 51-L originally for FY 1985 and the third flight in FY 1995 would have been named 151-C), the second digit indicating the launch site (2 was Kennedy Space Center and 1 was Shuttle Launch Complex (SLC) 6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, although Vandenberg was never used), and the letter indicating scheduling sequence. These codes were assigned when the launches were initially scheduled and were not changed as missions were delayed or rescheduled.

Although the codes were adopted from STS-41-B through STS-51-L the sequential numbers were used internally at NASA on all processing paperwork. Flights were assigned with sequential numbers from STS-9 through STS-33. With the resumption of flights in 1988, NASA restarted with STS-26R, the "reflight" suffix to disambiguate from prior missions. This continued through STS-33R.

After the Challenger disaster, a sequential numbering system only was used, with the number according to counting from the beginning, although, unlike the initial system, the assignment of numbers is based on the initial schedule and may not reflect launch order. The letter indicates that the intermediate numbering system applies, and e.g. flight STS-51 was many years after STS-51-A.

Contingency missions

STS-300 was the designation for the space shuttle Launch on Need (LON) missions to be launched on short notice for STS-114 and STS-121, in the event that the shuttle became disabled or damaged and could not safely return to Earth. After STS-121, the rescue flight for STS-115, if needed, would have been STS-301. After STS-115, the rescue mission designations changed again. They are now based on the corresponding regular mission that would be replaced should the rescue mission be needed. For example, the STS-116 rescue mission was branded STS-317, because the normal mission scheduled after STS-116 was STS-117. Should the rescue mission have been needed, the crew and vehicle for STS-117 would assume the rescue mission profile and become STS-317. The current LON mission is designated STS-400 and is the contingency support flight which will be launched using Space Shuttle Endeavour should a major problem occur during the current mission in orbit, STS-125, the final Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission (HST SM-4).

Flight statistics

(as of 30 June 2009)

* See Also: Space Shuttle Enterprise

† No longer in service (destroyed).

Other shuttles

† Destroyed in a hangar collapse in 2002

List of shuttle flights

¹ Originally scheduled to be Endeavour, changed to Discovery due to contamination issues.

See also

• ISS assembly sequence
• List of human spaceflights
• List of Space Shuttle crews
• List of human spaceflights to the ISS

External links

• NASA's Shuttle and Rocket Missions
• NASA ISS Consolidated Launch Manifest
• Unofficial Space Shuttle Manifest
• Space and Astronautics News.

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Published in July 2009.

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