The In-Space Manufacturing (ISM) Recycling and Reuse project will help reduce logistics demands associated with the current on-orbit supply model. The “take or make” decision is primarily based on cost, and making or recycling material on longer space missions can sometimes be less expensive than taking it. Unlike rocket boosters previously used in the space program, the space shuttle’s solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered at sea. The expended boosters are disassembled, refurbished and reloaded with solid propellant for reuse. The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Starship heat shield reusability faces a structural barrier: three former NASA engineers, including the co-inventor of SpaceX’s Dragon heat shield, say Starship’s ceramic tile system cannot. Explore chronologies, publications, oral histories and more to dig into the details of the history of NASA’s Space Shuttle Program. NASA’s shuttle fleet achieved numerous firsts and opened up space to more people than ever before during the Space Shuttle Program’s 30 years of missions. Advancements in nanotechnology, composite materials, and additive manufacturing are discussed in the context of their potential applications for enhancing shuttle performance and reducing mission costs. Currently, no solution exists for recycling waste materials back into feedstock form beyond entry-level hobbyist equipment, which is not suitable nor practical for space applications. Learn the basic history around the world’s first reusable spacecraft, a chronology of its construction, as well as details about its component parts, and specific facts about each of the six shuttle orbiters. We build space-station recycling capability with materials, systems, structures, propulsion, and automation skills. CosmoDust prototypes closed-loop recycling kits, mission planning tools, and automation routines that keep orbital logistics sustainable.