space shuttle

Much of the space shuttle, from thermal tiles to the electrical system, is made by hand and crafted by skilled workers.

Five years ago, NPR visited a shuttle workshop. Now, as the program concludes and shuttle construction and refurbishment winds down, we return to see what's next for the people who handmade the spaceships.

The space shuttle may be gone, but it's not likely to be forgotten — not if Hollywood has anything to do with it.

Over the course of the last 30 years, the shuttle has shown up repeatedly on the Silver Screen.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

Now that Discovery has safely touched down for good, NASA says it intends to offer the retired space shuttle to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

That leaves Atlantis and Endeavour, both of which are scheduled to fly one last time this year. Twenty-one museums are vying to house one of the iconic shuttles.