On 12 April 1981, the Space Shuttle orbiter Columbia lifted off from its pad at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on the STS-1 mission. The orbiter is only one part of the Space Transportation …

STS-1 (Space Transportation System -1) was the first orbital spaceflight of NASA 's Space Shuttle program. The first orbiter, Columbia, launched on April 12, 1981, and returned on April 14, …

Major systems were tested successfully on the first test flight of a Space Shuttle. However, Columbia experienced tile damage at launch due to an overpressure wave created by the …

Dec 2, 2025 · Space shuttle, partially reusable rocket-launched vehicle designed to go into orbit around Earth, to transport people and cargo to and from orbiting spacecraft, and to glide to a …

Jul 28, 2025 · On April 12, 1981, a new chapter in human spaceflight began as the Space Shuttle Columbia lifted off from Kennedy Space Center. This was not just another launch; it was the …

On April 12, 1981, at 7 a.m. Eastern time, Columbia lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, 20 years to the day after Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gargarin became the first human to …

On April 12, 1981, astronauts John Young and Bob Crippen launched space shuttle Columbia from Kennedy Space Center. This launch was the first time that astronauts would be aboard a …

On April 12, 1981, Space Shuttle Columbia roared into the sky, carrying astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen. This mission, known as STS-1, was the first time a reusable spacecraft …

Apr 30, 2025 · S79-31775 (29 April 1979) — These two astronauts are the prime crewmen for the first flight in the Space Transportation System (STS-1) program. Astronauts John W. Young, …

Apr 12, 2022 · The first Space Shuttle launch: Just seconds past 7 a.m. on April 12, 1981, Space Shuttle Columbia carries astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen into an Earth orbital …