space shuttle
Definition
A reusable winged spacecraft designed by NASA to transport astronauts, satellites, and cargo into low Earth orbit and return them safely to Earth.
The name of the NASA program (1981–2011) featuring orbiters such as Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour, which revolutionized space travel with its partially reusable design.
Examples
The space shuttle Discovery logged more flights than any other orbiter, earning it the nickname of the workhorse of the fleet.
Forget roller coasters; riding a space shuttle launch feels like your stomach decided to audition for zero-gravity stand-up comedy.
When the space shuttle program ended, NASA had to pivot to new rides, leaving sci-fi fans mourning the loss of those majestic booster separations.
Building a model space shuttle in the garage seemed like a good idea until Dad realized glue fumes rival spaceship exhaust.