List of Space Shuttle crews

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/list-of-space-shuttle-crews

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the program duration?1981-2011
2. What is the total missions flown?135
3. Who were the first astronauts to fly on the Space Shuttle?The first Space Shuttle crew was Commander John Young and Pilot Robert Crippen, who flew on the first mission, STS‑1, on April 12, 1981.
4. Why did the Space Shuttle program start?NASA created the Space Shuttle to have a reusable vehicle that could launch satellites, conduct research, and build space stations more cheaply than the old Apollo rockets.

Space Transportation System (STS): The official designation for the Space Shuttle program, emphasizing its role in routine space access.
Extravehicular Activity (EVA): Any activity done by an astronaut outside a spacecraft, commonly referred to as a spacewalk.
Payload Specialist: An individual, often not a career astronaut, who flies on a Space Shuttle mission to operate specific scientific equipment.