A Photo History of the Space Shuttle Program

Hubble
In addition to shuttling astronauts to and from the International Space Station, the shuttles contributed to NASA initiatives like the Hubble Space Telescope program. The telescope was launched into space in 1990 by the space shuttle Atlantis. Since then, Hubble has proved a vital research tool for astronomers by collecting data, producing stunning images and helping solve long-standing problems in the field.

• NASA's New Mars Rover 'Curiosity'