The Technical, Scientific, and Cultural Legacy of the Space Shuttle

Presented by Steve Hawley, University of Kansas

After nearly 30 years and 134 missions, the Space Shuttle will be retired in 2011. In 1978, I was selected as part of the first class of astronauts specifically chosen for the Shuttle. During my NASA career I flew five Shuttle missions, including three missions as part of NASA's Great Observatories Program, served in flight operations management positions and also as the first Chief Astronaut for the NASA Engineering and Safety Center. In this talk I will describe some of the technical achievements, some of the science that the Shuttle enabled, and a variety of cultural and political milestones that occurred during those 30 years.