The U.S. Space Shuttle program began in the late 1960s and continued through 2010. It dominated NASDA’s manned operations since the mid-1970s. The Space Shuttle is the only winged aircraft to achieve orbit and land and the only reusable spacecraft to make multiple flights into orbit. The vehicle itself normally carried five to seven astronauts and up to 25 tons of payload. The first scheduled orbiter had been planned to carry the name “Constitution.” A massive write-in campaign from “Star Trek” fans convinced the White House to change its name to “Enterprise.” The first orbiter was launced from Kennedy Space Center on April 12, 1981.