Shuttle/ Spacelab

Over 30 years, NASA's space shuttle fleet carried people into orbit repeatedly; launched, recovered and repaired satellites; and conducted cutting-edge research. Developed by the European Space Agency, Spacelab was a modular laboratory system installed in the payload bay of the Space Shuttle orbiter. During Spacelab missions, the Shuttle served as an intermittent space station for research conducted by scientists and astronauts.

More than 500 men and women have flown in space, some staying months at a time. Discover how we developed the technology for human spaceflight, explore the objects that have made those journeys possible