shuttle

A shuttle is a device or vehicle that moves between two points to transport people or goods, or to perform work in repeated cycles. The term is used for both fixed-route transport services and for recurring operations, such as space missions or factory workflows.

The space shuttle refers to a family of reusable spacecraft used for orbital missions. The NASA Space Shuttle program operated from 1981 to 2011 and consisted of an orbiter, two solid rocket boosters, and an external tank. It carried crews and payloads for satellite deployment, Hubble Space Telescope servicing, and International Space Station construction and maintenance. The program endured two fatal accidents: Challenger in 1986 and Columbia in 2003. After retirement, NASA shifted to other vehicles for crew transport, though the Space Shuttle remains a historical designation for the program.

A shuttle service is a transportation option that operates on a short, fixed route or between two locations on a recurring schedule, such as airport or hotel shuttles. Shuttles may be public, private, or contract-based, and use minibuses, vans, or small buses. They provide door-to-door transfers or connections with other transport modes.

In weaving, the shuttle is a device that carries the weft yarn back and forth across the loom through the warp threads. It exists in various forms and is central to both traditional handlooms and many mechanized weaving systems.

In racquet sports, a shuttle (often called a shuttlecock) is the light projectile hit by the racket. In badminton it typically has a cork base with feathers or a synthetic skirt and is designed to travel through the air with a specific flight pattern.