THE BEST Space Shuttle

Despite its two tragic missions, with 135 launches to its credit, the Space Shuttle was arguably the most successful space program of all time. 3D animator Jared Owen explains how shuttle missions worked, along with an in-depth look at the orbiter, where astronauts spent their time throughout their journeys.

One of the craziest RC scale airplane setups we’ve ever seen. On the bottom is a model of the Antonov AN-225 super-jumbo jet, and on its back is the Buran – the Soviet knock-off version of NASA’s Space Shuttle. Once it takes flight, the shuttle can decouple and land on its own.

Unlike other LEGO space shuttles, KingsKnight’s proposal is a 1:110 model, the same scale as the recently released LEGO Apollo Saturn V set. The design includes the tank and boosters, the Canadarm, a satellite, swappable decals, and seven microfigures.

This video taken from one of the Endeavour’s F/A-18 escorts shows the shuttle flying over some of Los Angeles’ landmarks before touching down at LAX for its 2013 parade. You can visit her at the California Space Center.

This incredibly detailed model of the Space Shuttle Atlantis resides at Minimundus, a theme park in Klagenfurt, Austria. The model isn’t just static – the shuttle has a full countdown sequence and actually “lifts off,” without leaving the ground.

Photographers Scott Andrews, Philip Scott Andrews and Stan Jirman followed the final journey of Space Shuttle Endeavour from Florida to Los Angeles. They made this time-lapse video of the bittersweet procession. More on Time.

Another epic Grand Theft Auto IV hack – a powerful spaceship capable of flying from Liberty City to the Moon in just about a minute. Wonder if you could fly Iron Man into orbit with this mod.

Cinematographer Matthew Givot and friends shot this stunning time-lapse video of the Space Shuttle Endeavour’s final mission, a slow journey through the streets of LA. Best watched in full-screen.

NPR pays tribute to the Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, Endeavor and one of the most amazing accomplishments of man – the Space Shuttle program. You’ll be missed, space trucks.

We’ve seen plenty of Space Shuttle takeoffs over the years, but NASA’s solid rocket booster cameras show us amazing new perspectives we’ve never seen before. View the full 29-minute version here.

A fortuitous passenger flight leaving Orlando saw Discovery’s recent final launch from the air. The (very cool) footage offers great perspectives on speed and trajectory. (Thanks everyone!)

Thousands of pictures  – taken over a period of six weeks – were stitched together to form this time lapse video of the preparation and launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery for the STS-131 mission.

As the Space Shuttle program comes to an end, a team from NASA created Ascent using footage captured by cameras that monitor shuttles as they take off, at up to 60,000 frames per second.

Space Toys is selling high-quality replicas of the original space shuttle orbiters. The price tag only pays for the exterior though; you’ll have to pay extra to get one with the interior replicated.

Wiley Post helped to develop the first pressure suits for high altitude flying, which eventually evolved into today’s space suits. Check out this list of some of the coolest designs ever created.

An era thunders to a close with the last nighttime launch of the Space Shuttle 2/8/2010; the Endeavour carries Tranquility, a stunning seven-window viewport and NASA’s last ISS module.

Life is just awesomer with a soundtrack: NASA’s JSC remixes Space Shuttle Atlantis’ ascent video to eclectic music that is part BSG, part Lord of the Rings and part Lord of the Dance.

17,500 mph has never looked so graceful: Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-129) does a rendezvous pitch maneuver–a backflip–to allow ISS crew to examine its heat shield for damage.

Atlantis’ recent flight to Hubble carried 180 special tools, 116 of which were designed just for that mission; they included Zero-G power tools, EVA workstations and screw capture plates.

Looking almost like the real thing, this LEGO Space Shuttle consists of 65,000 bricks and took two Japanese builders 1,590 hours to complete; it stands 4 meters up to the tower.