WIKIARCHIVES.SPACE

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space flight-suited Astronauts John Young, left, and Robert Crippen, accompanied by George Abbey, at far left, flight operations director, Johnson Space Center, walk from the Operations and Checkout Building to the transport van that will take them to Launch Pad 39A, for the first launch of the Space Shuttle at 7 a.m., April 12. At the rear door of the van is Charles Buckley, head of the security office, KSC. The STS-1 mission, known as a shuttle systems test flight, will seek to demonstrate safe launch into orbit and safe return of the orbiter and crew and verify the combined performance of the entire shuttle vehicle -- orbiter, solid rocket boosters and external tank.