Jan. 5, 1972: Nixon OKs ‘Low-Cost’ Space Shuttle

1972: President Richard M. Nixon announces that NASA will develop a space shuttle system, touting its reliability, reusability and low cost. See Also: Photo GalleryNASA: 50 Years of Towering Achievement The Mercury and Gemini programs had put Americans into Earth orbit. Apollo had been to the moon seven times — landing four times — and [...]