First flown in 1981, the shuttle is the most complicated flying machine ever devised. It has been the stalwart of NASA's continued manned space-flight program for almost 30 years with more than 100 successful missions, including the construction and provision of the International Space Station. This success has come at a high price with the loss of 11 astronauts in the "Challenger" and" Columbia" disasters, forever burned into the memories of the watching world. With NASA due to retire its ageing fleet in 2010, this book tells the fascinating story of the space shuttle from its inception to the shape of things to come.