1981    Space Shuttle program: Mission STS-2, utilizing the Space Shuttle Columbia, marks the first time a manned spacecraft is launched into space twice.

1982    Space Shuttle program: STS-3 Mission is completed with the landing of ''Columbia'' at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.

1983    Space Shuttle program: STS-7, Astronaut Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space.

1984    Space Shuttle program: STS-41-B is launched using Space Shuttle Challenger.

1984    Space Shuttle program: STS-41-B Mission – Astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart make the first untethered space walk using the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU).

1986    Space Shuttle program: Congressman Bill Nelson lifts off from Kennedy Space Center aboard Columbia on mission STS-61C as a Mission Specialist.

1986    Space Shuttle program: STS-51-L mission – Space Shuttle Challenger breaks apart after liftoff killing all seven astronauts on board.

1989    Space Shuttle program: STS-28 Mission – Space Shuttle Columbia takes off on a secret five-day military mission.

1990    STS-31: The Hubble Space Telescope is launched from the Space Shuttle ''Discovery''. thumb

1990    Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'' launches with flight STS-38.

1993    Space Shuttle program: Endeavour heads for space for the third time as STS-54 launches from the Kennedy Space Center.

1993    Space Shuttle program: TS-61

1995    Space Shuttle astronauts Bernard A. Harris, Jr. and Michael Foale become the first African American and first Briton, respectively, to perform spacewalks.

1995    Space Shuttle program: STS-71 Mission (''Atlantis'' docks with the Russian space station ''Mir'' for the first time.)

1996    Space Shuttle program: STS-72 launches from the Kennedy Space Center marking the start of the 74th Space Shuttle mission and the 10th flight of ''Endeavour''.

2005    Space Shuttle program: STS-114 Mission – Launch of ''Discovery'', NASA's first scheduled flight mission after the ''Columbia'' Disaster in 2003.

2006    Space Shuttle program: STS-121 Mission – Space Shuttle ''Discovery'' launches at 18:37:55 UTC.