<human>:  How many times has the Space Shuttle been launched into space?
<bot>: The Space Shuttle has been launched into space a total of 135 times. The first launch was in 1981, and the last was in 2011. The Space Shuttle program was retired in 2011, but it was replaced by the Space Launch System, or SLS. The SLS is designed to carry astronauts into space, and it is scheduled to launch its first mission in 2018.