September 5, 1984

1984: The Space Shuttle Discovery completed its first flight (STS-41-D) with a landing at Edwards AFB, Calif. During 27 years of service, it launched and landed 39 times, logged more spaceflights than any other spacecraft to date. Discovery became the third operational orbiter to enter service. It embarked on its final mission, STS-133, on February 24, 2011, and touched down for the last time at Kennedy Space Center on March 9, having spent a cumulative total of nearly a full year in space. Discovery performed both research and International Space Station (ISS) assembly missions, and also carried the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit. The shuttle is now on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.