Which space shuttle was the first to be equipped with a drag chute?

The space shuttle that was first equipped with a drag chute was Endeavour. Built as the fifth and final operational shuttle orbiter, Endeavour incorporated several upgrades developed from earlier missions, including a large drag parachute for landing.

The chute was housed at the rear of the orbiter and deployed after touchdown to help slow the vehicle. It reduced the shuttle’s landing rollout distance from roughly 3,000 feet to about 2,000 feet, easing demands on runways and braking systems. Endeavour first flew on STS-49 in May 1992.

The drag chute is easy to confuse with the shuttle’s parachute-like solid rocket booster recovery system. The boosters separated during ascent and descended under their own parachutes for ocean recovery. Endeavour’s chute, by contrast, was part of the orbiter and was used only during runway landing.

Endeavour also introduced updated avionics, improved navigation equipment, enhanced nose-wheel steering, and hardware supporting possible Extended Duration Orbiter missions. Although it was designed for missions lasting up to 28 days, its longest flight lasted 17 days, set by Columbia on STS-80.