Space Shuttle
Production information
Manufacturer	Tau'ri
Technical specifications
Hyperdrive system	None
Armament	None
Usage
Role(s)	Space Transportation System
Year introduced	1980s
Affiliation	Tau'ri

[Source]

"These shuttles. They are a formidable craft?"

—Bra'tac

The Space Shuttle is an aerospace vehicle manufactured by the United States that entered service in the 1980s. Prior to the construction of the F-302 fighter-interceptor and BC-303, the space shuttle was the United States' only manned spacecraft in operation. Unfortunately, its lack of weapons or defensive systems of any sort prevented it from being a particularly effective deterrent against hostile forces such as the Goa'uld.

Future SG-1 leader Cameron Mitchell watched the first shuttle launch in a hospital room with his father, who was recovering after losing both his legs in a piloting accident. (SG1: "Collateral Damage") Samantha Carter had aspired to join the shuttle program, but was unable to do so in the aftermath of the loss of the space shuttle Challenger. In 1998, her father attempted to maneuver her into the shuttle program; but having already joined SG-1, she was no longer interested, as the Stargate could go far beyond a shuttle's reach. (SG1: "Secrets")

Although operated by the civilian National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Space Shuttle has occasionally been used for missions related to the Stargate program. Most notably, the shuttle Endeavour retrieved Colonel O'Neill, Captain Carter, Teal'c and Bra'tac from Earth orbit, where they had been stranded in a pair of damaged Death Gliders after destroying an invasion force led by Apophis. (SG1: "The Serpent's Lair")

One or more shuttles were probably also involved in retrieving the two Gliders themselves, since the U.S. possessed no other means of manned space travel at the time. It isn't clear how this was accomplished, however, since the gliders would not have fit inside a shuttle's cargo bay.

Among the equipment used on the shuttle is a robotic manipulator arm, or Canadarm; Doctor Rodney McKay was apparently involved with work on this device, and a photograph of the arm in use on an orbiting shuttle decorated his quarters in Atlantis. (ATL: "Duet")

External linksEdit

• Space Shuttle on Wikipedia