The Space Shuttle's Greatest Hits

For the last 30 years, NASA's Space Shuttle has served U.S. interests in orbit. You can see the fleet's greatest hits in this gallery. Each image comes from the flight mentioned, complete with the mission's badge, which were unique to each flight.

On Monday, May 16, NASA is planning to send Space Shuttle Endeavour up into orbit on its last voyage ever. Endeavour, the fleet's youngest shuttle, comes from a family of six: two of which were lost during missions, two retired and the last, Atlantis, is scheduled for a final launch in June. The Space Shuttle program is one filled with the highest of highs and lowest possible lows.

Saturday, May 14, also happens to be the 38th anniversary of the launch of Skylab, America's first space station, which deorbited in 1979 and disintegrated in Earth's atmosphere. In short, it's a pretty complex time for America's space program, with each day full of reminders of the heights the country soared to, and the nervous transfer of manned space exploration from a national effort to the private sector.

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