Space Shuttle Discovery - Definition and Overview

Shuttle Orbiter Discovery (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-103) is a NASA Space Shuttle.

First flown on August 30, 1984, Discovery is the third operational shuttle (excluding test shuttle Enterprise), and the oldest remaining in service. The orbiter is still operational today, and has performed both research and International Space Station (ISS) assembly missions.

The craft takes its name from HMS Discovery, a ship that accompanied explorer James Cook on his third and final major voyage. Unofficially, the shuttle is named after Discovery, the spaceship from the film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Flights

Rollout of the orbiter Discovery, 1998 (NASA)

Space Shuttle Discovery has flown 30 flights, spent 241.95-days in space, completed 3,808 orbits, and flown 98,710,673 miles in total, as of February 2003.

Notable missions

STS-41-D: First Flight
STS-26: Return to space after Challenger disaster
STS-114 (Spring 2005): Return to space after STS-107 (Columbia disaster)

See also

• Shuttle Buran
• List of space shuttle missions

External links

• Orbiter Vehicles (http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/orbiters.html)
• Shuttle Orbiter Discovery (OV-103) (http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/discovery.html)