Flames shot from the nozzles of the Space Shuttle's three engines during the successful 20-second static firing, which capped a formal rehearsal for the maiden flight of Columbia, scheduled for early April. The milestone event took place at 8:45 a.m. on Feb. 20, 1981. The three main engines reached 100 percent power - over 1 million pounds of thrust - during the test. Holddown bolts secured the vehicle to its mobile launcher platform.
Information
Taken in
Kennedy Space Center
Author
NASA
Description
Flames shot from the nozzles of the Space Shuttle's three engines during the successful 20-second static firing, which capped a formal rehearsal for the maiden flight of Columbia, scheduled for early April. The milestone event took place at 8:45 a.m. on Feb. 20, 1981. The three main engines reached 100 percent power - over 1 million pounds of thrust - during the test. Holddown bolts secured the vehicle to its mobile launcher platform.