SPACE SHUTTLE 33 CENT

 

On January 5, 1972, President Richard Nixon signed a bill authorizing $5.5 billion to create America’s first-ever space shuttle, Enterprise.  Unlike the spacecraft before it, these shuttles would be used again and again, up to 100 times.  This revolutionized transportation into near space!

Over the years, shuttle missions aided Spacelab, helped construct the International Space Station, serviced the Hubble Telescope, carried satellites to Earth’s orbit, and more.

The Space Shuttle Program was commemorated on the 1980s Celebrate the Century sheet (US #3190)

Like many of America’s groundbreaking achievements, space shuttles have been commemorated on US stamps.  A special cover was even created that flew to space aboard Space Shuttle Challenger!