The first NASA space shuttle blasted Into orbit on April 12, 1981.
It was the launch of 30 years of U.S. dominance in space. Thirty years later, the shuttle program ended on July 21, 2011, when Atlantis touched down at the Kennedy Space Center, after Its final trip to the International Space Station.
NASA's shuttle was the world's first reusable spacecraft, which launched like a rocket...Orbited like a spacecraft...And landed like a plane. More than 600 crew members traveled on 135 flights. "Each mission was different," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "each was exceptional and challenging and expanded our capabilities as a nation and the world."
But the program did not come without Its human cost. The space shuttle Columbia broke up on re-entry In 2003, and In 1986, Challenger exploded, just after liftoff. In 2004, President George W. Bush issued new directives for U.S. space travel, which included a plan to end the shuttle program. "It is time for America to take the next steps." he said at the time.
Until NASA develops a vehicle to replace the shuttle, American astronauts will need to hitch a ride aboard Russian Soyuz rockets to reach the International Space Station.
The end of the shuttle program meant nearly 8,000 job cuts at NASA. But the agency is looking toward the future. "There Is no question about our leadership in exploration in space flight." Bolden told CNN. "We have been the leader for many years, for many decades now, and that will -- we will maintain that leadership."
NASA is working on its next human spacecraft, Orion, which is designed for deep space exploration. The agency hopes to have humans on or near an asteroid In 2025, and plans to send astronauts to Mars in the 2030's.
Private companies will also play a major role In the next generation of manned space flights. Richard Branson's "Virgin Galactic" has already sold tickets aboard Its first sub-orbital space flights. And Space Exploration Technologies, or "Space-X," has a contract with NASA to supply cargo to the I.S.S.. It plans to eventually fly astronauts as well.
While a trip to space will remain out of reach for most Americans, the next 30 years of space travel will certainly look different from the last 30.
