Space Transportation System (STS) is the official name for NASA’s Space Shuttle Program that launched manned aerial vehicles into low Earth orbit (LEO) for 30 years.
A joint project made by Boeing and Rockwell, a total of six vehicles were used in the program: Atlantis, Challenger, Columbia, Discovery, Endeavour and Enterprise. The first experimental orbiter, Enterprise, was a high-altitude glider, launched from the fuselage of a specially modified Boeing 747, only for initial atmospheric landing tests (ALT).
Shuttle missions took place from 1981 through 2011. They were responsible for launching countless satellites and equipment into orbit, to include the Hubble Space Telescope and sections of the International Space Station, and served as a host for Spacelab- one of the most advanced experimental environments for research the world has ever known.
The Shuttle is the only winged manned spacecraft to have achieved orbit and land, and the only reusable manned space vehicle that has ever made multiple flights into orbit. In the course of 135 missions flown, two orbiters (Columbia and Challenger) suffered catastrophic accidents, with the loss of all crew members, totaling 14 astronauts.
This design features a representation of the U.S. Flag with 6 stars- one for each of the Shuttles used in the program. The two Shuttle silhouettes represent the vehicles and crew tragically lost.
^ 3″ x 2″
^ Hook backing
^ 100% embroidered
^ Only 100 made