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In Photos: Highlights of the U.S. Space Shuttle Program
A photographic timeline of major events in the U.S. Space Shuttle program.
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June 27 - July 7, 1995: Shuttle Atlantis docks with Russia's Mir Space Station. When linked, they formed the largest spacecraft in orbit, with a total mass of nearly 225 tons. (Image: NASA)
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December 7, 1986: Shuttle Columbia lands, completing the program’s longest mission; 17 days, 15 hours, 53 minutes, 18 seconds. (Image: NASA)
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October 29 - November 7, 1998: John Glenn returns to space in Discovery. The first American to orbit the Earth made history again when he returned to space as the oldest man to do so. His 1962 orbit was four hours and 56 minutes. Glenn’s 1998 orbit lasted
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October 11-24, 2000: Discovery conducted the program’s 100th mission. (NASA)