work in progress; some photos not yet high resolution versions The first Space Shuttle launch was April 12th 1981. The Shuttle opened a new era of human space flight.

STS-1 on launch pad

First Shuttle Launch 1981

Shuttle headed for Space

First Shuttle payload bay view

Columbia glides toward first landing

First Orbiter touchdown

Early Shuttle concept

Satellite Service Concept

Parallel Burn Concept

Shuttle Lab Concept

Lifting Body Concept

Winged Fly-back Booster/Orbiter Separation

Bell X1

X2 rockets away

X15 on B52

X15 separation

ALT test of Orbiter

Enterprise Flys

Headed for Edwards landing

ALT 5

SSME testing

SRM Testing

Wind Tunnel Testing

First External Tank

RMS operations

First TDRS Deploy

First Spacelab

Spacecraft Deploy

Solar Max sails

LDEF ready for deploy

Syncom sails

TDRS ready

TDRS Sails

Payload Installed

Magellan Sails

Hubble Space Telescope

Sombrero Galaxy from Hubble

Human in orbit

Intelsat in hand

Russian Mir Station

Launc, beach view

Shuttle delivers US Space Station Element

Space Workers

International Space Station

ISS impressive in orbit

Orbiter from ISS

Soyuz

Landing at KSC

Moon and Shuttle

Moon from orbit

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