Space shuttle

The Space Shuttle is an aerospace vehicle manufactured by the United States, which entered service in the 1980s. Prior to the construction of the F-302 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. 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, father attempted to maneuver her into the shuttle program; but having already joined SG-1, she was no longer interested.

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.


 * Shuttles were probably also involved in retrieving the two Gliders themselves, although these would have been too big to fit inside the 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.