The STS-116 mission gets under way with a spectacular night launch in Florida.
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Alan Shepard rode his Freedom 7 capsule into history on May 5, 1961.
Learn about the STS-115 crew's construction mission with this interactive timeline
The Discovery crew will visit the International Space Station and test new safety procedures.
Relive the historic first flight of the space shuttle through video, a photo gallery, and downloads for your desktop.
Pavel Vinogradov, Jeff Williams and Marcos Pontes arrive at the International Space Station.