TarsaaOn March 24, 1979, dwelling shuttle Columbia arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Location Heart (KSC) for the very first time. Following Presidential course to originate the dwelling shuttle in 1972, Congress hasty favorite and funded the program later that one year. Construction of the foremost orbital vehicle, later named Columbia, started in 1975. Four years later, Columbia completed its first transcontinental flight, arriving at KSC to initiate preparations for its first mission. The first shuttle flight in April 1981 ushered in an generation of reusable dwelling transportation.
Left: NASA Administrator James C. Fletcher, left, provides a model of the dwelling shuttle to President Richard M. Nixon in January 1972. Reliable: Apollo 16 astronauts John W. Young, left, and Charles M. Duke on the Moon in April 1972.
On Jan. 5, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon directed NASA to originate the dwelling shuttle, formally called the Location Transportation Diagram (STS), stating that “it would revolutionize transportation into approach dwelling.” NASA Administrator James C. Fletcher hailed the President’s decision as “an historic step in the nation’s dwelling program,” adding that it would trade what humans can fabricate in dwelling. Apollo 16 astronauts John W. Young and Charles M. Duke discovered of the dwelling shuttle’s approval while exploring the Moon in April 1972. Mission Befriend a watch on urged them that Congress had licensed the approach of the dwelling shuttle. Young and Duke each and each enthusiastically spoke back to the obvious information with “Ravishing! Very ultimate! Ravishing!” Young added with some foresight, “The nation desires that shuttle mighty proceed. You’ll see.” He had no manner of lustrous that nine years later, he would stutter the foremost ship of the dwelling shuttle like a flash, Columbia, on its maiden voyage.
Left: Columbia’s crew compartment all over assembly in 1976. Heart: Columbia’s aft fuselage and wings all over assembly in November 1977. Reliable: Columbia simply sooner than rollout from Rockwell’s plant in Palmdale in March 1979.
Once Congress licensed the funds, on July 26, 1972, NASA awarded the contract to the North American Rockwell Corporation of Downey, California, to initiate construction of the foremost orbital vehicle. Formally known as Orbital Automobile-102 (OV-102), in January 1979 NASA named it Columbia after Captain Robert Gary’s sloop that explored the Pacific Northwest in the 1790s and took the honor as the foremost American ship to circumnavigate the globe, as successfully as after the Apollo 11 State Module. Construction of Columbia’s first system at Rockwell’s Palmdale, California, plant started on March 25, 1975.
Left: Workers roll Columbia out from its hangar at Rockwell’s Palmdale, California, plant. Heart: Workers transport Columbia from Rockwell’s Palmdale facility to NASA’s Dryden, now Armstrong, Flight Analysis Heart. Reliable: Columbia atop the Shuttle Provider Airplane takes off from Dryden to initiate the rotten-nation ferry flight.
Virtually four years later, on March 8, 1979, Columbia rolled out of the Palmdale facility to initiate its multi-day transcontinental scurry to KSC. For the foremost step of the scurry, workers towed Columbia from Palmdale overland to NASA’s Dryden, now Armstrong, Flight Analysis Heart at Edwards Air Power Imperfect (AFB) 36 miles away. Two days later, workers there hoisted Columbia onto the Shuttle Provider Airplane (SCA), a Boeing 747 plane modified to maneuver dwelling shuttle orbiters. At some level of a test flight, thousands of the orbiter’s thermal safety system tiles fell off. Workers returned Columbia to a hangar where over 100 males and females worked for nine days reapplying the tiles. Weather then delayed Columbia’s departure till March 20, when the SCA/shuttle duo flew from Dryden to Biggs AFB in El Paso, Texas.
Left: Location shuttle Columbia atop its Shuttle Provider Airplane (SCA) touches down at Kelly Air Power Imperfect (AFB) in San Antonio for an overnight pause. Heart: Head on survey of Columbia atop the SCA. Reliable: Tina Aguilar, age nine, an aspiring young reporter, interviews astronaut Donald Ok. “Deke” Slayton in front of Columbia and the SCA at Kelly AFB.
Weather delayed Columbia’s departure for the planned refueling pause at Kelly AFB in San Antonio, till the subsequent day. About 200,000 of us went to survey the shuttle all over its overnight layover in San Antonio sooner than its departure on March 23.
Left: The previous meets the future, as dwelling shuttle Columbia atop its Shuttle Provider Airplane (SCA) flies over the Saturn V present at NASA’s Kennedy Location Heart (KSC) in Florida. Heart: Columbia atop the SCA touches down at KSC’s Shuttle Touchdown Facility (SLF), with the Automobile Meeting Constructing visible in the background. Reliable: At the SLF, NASA Administrator Robert A. Frosch addresses the crowd assembled to welcome Columbia to KSC, as other dignitaries pay attention.
After one other overnight pause at Eglin AFB in Florida, Columbia atop the SCA touched down at KSC’s Shuttle Touchdown Facility (SLF) on March 24, a crowd of about 3,000 cheering its arrival. Dignitaries in attendance at a transient welcoming ceremony at the SLF incorporated NASA Administrator Robert A. Frosch, KSC Director Lee R. Scherer, SCA pilots Joseph S. Algranti and Fitzhugh L. Fulton, program supervisor for Shuttle Flight Take a look at Operations NASA astronaut Donald Ok. “Deke” Slayton, and astronauts John W. Young and Robert L. Crippen, designated as the commander and pilot for STS-1, the foremost dwelling shuttle mission. Furthermore in attendance, U.S. Congressman C. William “Invoice” Nelson whose district incorporated KSC and now serves as NASA’s 14th administrator, and Florida Lieutenant Governor J. Wayne Mixson.
Left: Columbia in the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Location Heart (KSC) in Florida. Heart: Workers hoist Columbia in KSC’s Automobile Meeting Constructing (VAB) for mating with its external tank and stable rocket boosters. Reliable: Columbia rolls out of the VAB on its manner to Inaugurate Pad 39A.
The following day, after taking away Columbia from the aid of the SCA, workers towed it into the Orbiter Processing Facility, where the orbiter spent the subsequent 19 months preparing for its first flight. Rollover to the Automobile Meeting Constructing (VAB) for mating with its External Tank and the 2 Solid Rocket Boosters took situation Nov. 24, 1980. After a chain of integrated assessments, the shuttle stack rolled out of the VAB and made the 3.5-mile time out to Inaugurate Pad 39A on Dec. 29, 1980. Young and Crippen flew Columbia’s historic first mission, STS-1, in April 1981, ushering in an generation of reusable dwelling transportation.
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