JOIN USDiscovery, the world’s oldest space shuttle, has headed into orbit on its last mission. The centrepiece of the US’ space programme, Discovery defined an era of space travel. It is the world’s most-travelled space shuttle and looked upon as its most-reliable. When it returns to earth in around 11 days, this old warhorse will have travelled a cumulative distance of 230 million km in its 30-year-long career. It will then be decommissioned. Its younger siblings, Atlantis and Endeavour, will over the next few months make their last voyages into space. Discovery’s last outing marks the beginning of the end of the shuttle era in space travel. Its last launch was repeatedly delayed over the past several months, held back on account of one technical problem or another.
NASA’s shuttle programme has many successes to its credit. It has played an important role in building the International Space Station. Shuttles helped in the delivery of modules and supplies for ISS. Discovery deployed the Hubble Space Telescope, which has given scientists their clearest view of deep space objects and provided us with better insights into the mysteries of space. Space shuttles were conceived as a cheaper option to rockets. Unlike the latter, they could make multiple trips. However, they proved less reliable and more costly than originally envisaged. Doubts about their safety emerged in 1986 when the Challenger exploded and mounted in 2003 when Columbia disintegrated during re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere. Safety concerns and big budget cuts have forced NASA to retire its space shuttles.
The end of the shuttle era will usher in huge changes in US space travel. Until perhaps the middle of this decade, US astronauts will have to hitch rides with Russian spacecraft. NASA’s long-term plans involve private companies providing launch services on a range of new vehicles. Thus Discovery’s last voyage marks more than the beginning of the end of the shuttle era. It clears the way for greater private-government partnership in American space travel. Discovery’s last lift off was accompanied by much pageantry. On its return to earth in less than a fortnight from now, it will be given a warm send-off as it heads off to retirement at the Smithsonian museum. That will leave billions across the earth with lumps in their throats. It will be an end of a glorious innings.