Pushing Back the Boundaries Development of the Space Shuttle began in 1972, and the craft designed to connect the earth to outer space enjoyed a 30-year career between its first successful test flight in 1981 and its retirement in 2011. It was a truly multi-mission craft, over its 135 launches taking modules to the International Space Station, releasing satellites, and even hosting experiments in its onboard lab. Five shuttles were built in total.