The Space Shuttle was a "Failed Success".
The Space Shuttle Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center Few things in this world match NASA's space shuttle as an example of mankind's engineering prowess. This technological marvel defined the majority of America's space program for well over 30 years. Without it, one doubts if we would have seen those fantastic images from the Hubble space telescope. Were it not for the space shuttle, the International Space Station (ISS) would have turned out a whole lot different. The shuttle itself is awe-inspiring to behold. Roughly the size of a Boeing 737, the orbiter dwarfs every other manned spacecraft that preceded it. Stacked with its external fuel tank and solid-rocket boosters, the entire Space Transportation System (STS) is over 15 stories high and weighs 4.5 million pounds. It is substantially taller than any building in PEI . The space shuttle's size is not its most impressive feat, however. Prior to the Columbia's first spaceflight , all spa...