Litt mer enn 48t til oppskytningen av den siste romferge

30-års programmet til romfergen avsluttes i følge planen fredag. Så blir det et gap mellom dette og neste prosjekt hvor USA må benytte russiske systemer. Romfergeprogrammet ser slik ut:

1981: Columbia makes first shuttle flight for two days.

1982: Shuttle declared operational, no longer experimental.
1983: Challenger's first flight with first shuttle spacewalk; America's first woman in space, Sally Ride; America's first black astronaut in space, Guion Bluford.
1984: Discovery's first flight, first untethered spacewalk by Bruce McCandless, the so-called "human satellite."
1985: Atlantis' first flight; first congressman in space, Sen. Jake Garn of Utah.
1986: Challenger destroyed after lift-off, seven killed including teacher Christa McAuliffe; shuttles grounded during investigation.
1988: Shuttle flights resume with Discovery.
1989: Launch of Jupiter probe Gallileo.
1990: Launch of Hubble Space Telescope.
1992: First flight of Endeavour, replacement for Challenger.
1993: Hubble repaired by spacewalkers.
1994: First Russian cosmonaut on shuttle.
1995: First female pilot, Eileen Collins; first docking with Russia's Mir space station.
1998: Mercury astronaut John Glenn returns to orbit at 77; first U.S. piece of International Space Station launched.
1999: First female commander, Eileen Collins.
2003: Columbia destroyed during re-entry, seven killed; shuttles grounded during investigation.
2005: Shuttle flights resume with Discovery.
2011: Last flights of Discovery, Endeavour, and soon, Atlantis.