The NASA shuttle landing facility was built in 1983. The first time the landing was used was in February 1984.
Chat with our AI personalities
The first space shuttle built for NASA was named "Enterprise." It was used for approach and landing tests in the atmosphere, but it never flew in space.
NASA
The first space shuttle, named Enterprise, was built by NASA as a test vehicle for the Space Shuttle Program. It did not have engines or the capability to fly in space, but it was used for approach and landing tests in the 1970s. The first space-worthy shuttle, Columbia, was the first one to be launched into space in 1981.
The last space shuttle landing was on July 21, 2011, when the space shuttle Atlantis landed at Kennedy Space Center to conclude the STS-135 mission, marking the end of NASA's Space Shuttle Program.
The Columbia space shuttle was built in the 1970s and was the first operational space shuttle in NASA's fleet. It made its maiden flight on April 12, 1981.