Space Shuttle Discovery.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Space Shuttle Orbiter OV-103; it made its maiden flight on August 30, 1984 (STS-41D). Discovery was named after one of two ships captained by British explorer James Cook who sailed the South Pacific in the 1770s and discovered the Hawaiian Islands. Cook’s other ship, Endeavour, also inspired the name of a Space Shuttle. 

Two ships called "Discovery"

Shuttle Discovery’s milestones have included the first flight following the Challenger disaster (STS-26), the deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope (STS-31) and of Ulysses (STS-41), the first female Shuttle pilot (STS-63), and the first Shuttle/Mir rendezvous (STS-63).