The Missions of the Shuttle Program

         There are numerous missions that NASA’s space shuttle program completes. One of its missions is to carry a heavy load of supplies into orbit, including parts to be added onto the International Space Station (ISS). The shuttle also retrieves objects from orbit, including satellites and even large loads from the ISS. The shuttle program has made a couple of missions to go repair or add on parts to the Hubble telescope, which is very important to NASA's overall mission. Why did NASA choose to assemble a fleet of shuttles in the first place? NASA’s shuttle program was to be focused mainly on completing the ISS by 2010, after which the shuttle will be retired. However, a few setbacks forced NASA to extend the shuttle programs career until the ISS was complete. The final launch will be Atlantis, which is expected to launch on July 8, 2011.