Full Isometric View of the Space Shuttle Launch Stack Assembly | Discovery Space Shuttle | Blueprint Design | NASA Art Print

Discovery, the oldest and most experienced of the current American space shuttle fleet, was the third of five orbiters built by NASA. Unlike previous programs, the Space Shuttle Program emphasized cost effectiveness, reusability, and the construction of a space station. Discovery completed 39 missions, more than any other orbiter, and was the first to fly 20 missions. She was chosen as the Return to Flight vehicle after the Challenger and Columbia accidents, and was the first to fly with redesigned SRBs and Phase II/Block I SSMEs. Discovery carried the Hubble Space Telescope to orbit and performed two servicing missions. She flew the first and last dedicated DoD missions and the first unclassified defense-related mission. Discovery was crucial to the construction of the International Space Station, flying 13 missions and being the first orbiter to dock and perform a resident crew exchange.