The bookends of an era: meeting the first and last shuttle crews

Space · Published 17 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In November 2011, six astronauts gathered in Houston to create a visual timeline of thirty years of space exploration. By standing together, the pioneers of the first mission and the veterans of the final flight provided a physical bridge between the program's humble beginnings and its historic conclusion.

The meeting took place at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, specifically at the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility. This location held deep symbolic weight: it was where both crews had conducted their rigorous training using full-scale shuttle mockups before heading to their respective missions. In April 1981, John Young and Robert Crippen travelled on Columbia during STS-1; they later met the STS-135 team—comprising Chris Ferguson, Doug Hurley, Sandy Magnus, and Rex Walheim—for a joint appearance. The crew of STS-135 included mission specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim. These individuals joined the pilot Doug Hurley. They met with the first shuttle's commander and pilot.

For the STS-135 crew, who had been assigned to train together since September 2010, the photo op marked a definitive professional conclusion. Following their July 8 liftoff from Kennedy Space Center aboard Atlantis and subsequent return to Earth, the crew transitioned into post-flight briefings and national tours. Commander Ferguson noted that while they were moving on to separate paths, the meeting served as a formal closing of the shuttle program's chapter. The four astronauts flew aboard the orbiter Atlantis. This specific vessel carried them for their final journey. The crew members were officially assigned to train as a unit in September 2010.

The significance of this moment was underscored by the astronauts' actions following the meeting. The group presented President Barack Obama with an astronaut blue flight jacket featuring both STS-1 and STS-135 emblems. Additionally, the crew left their respective patches on the International Space Station alongside a U.S. flag that had flown during the very first shuttle mission in 1981. NASA officially declared the 30-year program complete on August 31, 2011. The meeting occurred on November 2, 2011. They also visited the White House the day before this event. The crew met with President Barack Obama during that visit.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• The final voyage of an era: meeting the STS-135 crew
• The final seconds of a 30-year era in orbital flight
• The final flight of a 30-year era required jet-powered rehearsals
• The final words of an era: meeting the last shuttle crew
• How astronauts stay still while answering student questions from orbit
• The final flight of Endeavour carried a massive search for dark matter
• Why the greatest mass extinction left us with seashells instead of brachiopods
• The precise choreography of a 12-day journey to the stars
• Can the fabric of reality crystallize into a black hole?
• A rock on Mars that keeps geologists awake at night
• How satellite data helps us measure the total carbon stored in global forests
• How to unlock the true ending and new features in Strike Suite Zero

More in Space · Latest · A–Z · All topics