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The End of the Space Shuttle Program
For Immediate Release
July 21, 2011
Contact
Mat Kaplan
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1-626-793-5100
Today, as the Space Shuttle Atlantis touched down and returned its crew to Earth, the 30-year-long space shuttle program came to its end.
Bill Nye, Executive Director of the Planetary Society, had this to say:
“Mission accomplished! It’s been thirty great years for the Space Shuttle program. With this venerable space vehicle retired, it’s on to the next adventure.
“The Space Shuttle has taken more than 10,400 tons into orbit, a fantastic legacy, as most of that equipment is still up there helping astronauts do their jobs. But now it’s time to move up and on— outward. We can make new discoveries peering beyond new horizons.”
The Planetary Society salutes the men and women – those in space and those on the ground – who made the Shuttle fly. Theirs is a legacy that will be remembered by people through the centuries to come, especially by those who follow the trail they have blazed into space.
About The Planetary Society
The Planetary Society is the world's largest and most influential space interest organization. Founded in 1980 by astronomer Carl Sagan with Bruce Murray and Louis Friedman of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit is led today by CEO Jenn Vaughn and championed by Chief Ambassador Bill Nye. Members and donors fund programs in science and technology, public outreach, and advocacy. This work advances the exploration of space, the search for life beyond Earth, and the defense of our planet from dangerous asteroids and comets. Learn more at planetary.org.
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