Porter-area historical tornado activity is near Oklahoma state average. It is 167% greater than the overall U.S. average.
The Space Shuttle program, officially called the Space Transportation System (STS), was the United States government's manned launch vehicle program from 1981 to 2011, administered by NASA and officially beginning in 1972.
From 1963 to 1975, NASA tested a group of lifting bodies. The characteristics of these winged research vehicles led to the development of the space shuttle. Image to right: The components of the Space Shuttle system: Orbiter, External Tank, and Solid Rocket Boosters. Today's space shuttle is a unique spacecraft system.