WIKIARCHIVES.SPACE

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The STS-1 Space Shuttle Team celebrates a successful liftoff of Columbia form Launch Pad 39A a few seconds past 7 a.m. The orbital mission is scheduled to last for 54 hours, ending with an unpowered landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California. 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.