Summary
A feature look back at NASA's Space Shuttle — how the most complex flying machine ever built was designed, what it accomplished (including helping build the International Space Station), and the people who flew it across 30 years. Narrated by William Shatner.
Viewer safety
Ages 9+Emotional themes
The program's history includes the Challenger (1986) and Columbia (2003) losses — handled respectfully; preview if your class is sensitive.
Our rating is a quick teacher-to-teacher guide — preview before showing.
Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
"The Space Shuttle" looks at what made the shuttle special and what it cost to fly it.
- What made the Space Shuttle different from earlier rockets that could only be used once?
- What kinds of jobs did the shuttle do in space?
- Exploring space can be risky. Why do people keep doing it, and how does NASA try to make it safer?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: reusable, orbiter, payload, launch, re-entry.
Try it: List two advantages and one challenge of building a spacecraft you can fly again and again.