STS-1

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STS-1 is also an abbreviation for Synchronous Transport Signal (level)-1 in the SONET hierarchy.

Mission insignia

Image:STS-1 flight insignia.png
Mission statistics
Mission:	STS-1
Shuttle:	Columbia
Launch pad:	39A
Launch:	April 12, 1981 6:00:03 a.m. CST (12:00:03 UTC)
Landing:	April 14, 1981 12:20:57 p.m. CST (18:20:57 UTC) Edwards AFB, Runway 23
Duration:	2 days, 6 hours, 20 minutes, 53 seconds
Orbit altitude:	166 nautical miles (307 km)
Orbit inclination:	40.3 degrees
Orbits:	36
Distance traveled:	1,074,000 miles (1,728,000 km)
Crew photo
Image:STS-1 crew.jpg Crew members John W. Young and Robert L. Crippen pose in ejection escape suits (EES) with small model of space shuttle.
Previous mission: None	Next mission: STS-2

The first Space Shuttle mission, STS-1, launched April 12, 1981, returned April 14. Space Shuttle Columbia orbited the earth 36 times in this 54.5 hour mission. It was the first US manned space flight since the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in July 1975.

1 Crew
2 Mission parameters
3 Mission highlights
4 Mission insignia
5 Anniversary
6 Trivia
7 See also
8 Media
9 External links

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Crew

Commander: John W. Young (flew on Gemini 3, Gemini 10, Apollo 10, Apollo 16, STS-1, & STS-9)
Pilot: Robert Crippen (flew on STS-1, STS-7, STS-41-C, & STS-41-G)

The crew of STS-2 served as backup for this mission.

Backup Commander: Joe Engle
Backup Pilot: Richard Truly

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Mission parameters

Mass:
- Orbiter Liftoff: 99,453 kg
- Orbiter Landing: 88,662 kg
- DFI payload: 4,909 kg
Perigee: 240 km
Apogee: 251 km
Inclination: 40.3°
Period: 89.4 min

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Mission highlights

The first launch of the Space Shuttle occurred on April 12, 1981, when the orbiter Columbia, with two crew members, astronauts John W. Young, commander, and Robert L. Crippen, pilot, lifted off from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, at the Kennedy Space Center -- the first of 24 launches from Pad A. It was exactly 7 a.m. EST. A launch attempt, 2 days before, was scrubbed because of a timing problem in one of the Columbia's general purpose computers.

Not only was this the first launch of the Space Shuttle, but it marked the first time that solid fuel rockets were used for a U.S. manned launch. It was also the first US manned space vehicle launched without an unmanned powered test flight. The STS-1 orbiter, Columbia, also holds the record for the amount of time spent in the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) before launch -- 610 days, time needed for replacement of many of its heat shield tiles.

Primary mission objectives of the maiden flight were to check out the overall Shuttle system, accomplish a safe ascent into orbit and to return to Earth for a safe landing. All of these objectives were met successfully and the Shuttle's worthiness as a space vehicle was verified.

The only payload carried on the mission was a Development Flight Instrumentation (DFI) package which contained sensors and measuring devices to record orbiter performance and the stresses that occurred during launch, ascent, orbital flight, descent and landing.

The 36-orbit, 933,757-mile-long flight lasted 2 days, 6 hours, 20 minutes and 32 seconds. Landing took place on Runway 23 at Edwards AFB, Calif., on April 14, 1981, at 10:21 a.m. PST. Post-flight inspection of the Columbia revealed that an overpressure wave which occurred when the SRB ignited resulted in the loss of 16 heat shield tiles and damage to 148 others. Inspection by astronauts during orbit showed significant damage to the thermal protection tiles on the OMS/RCS pods at the orbiter aft end. During reentry a protruding tile gap filler ducted hot gas into the landing gear well, which caused significant damage[1]. In most other respects Columbia came through the flight with flying colors, and it was to fly the next four Shuttle missions.

Columbia was returned to Kennedy Space Center from California on April 28 atop its 747 carrier aircraft.

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Mission insignia

The artwork for the official mission insignia was designed by artist Robert McCall.

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Anniversary

Image:STS 1 25 anniv.jpg Yuri's Night is an international celebration held on April 12 every year to commemorate the first human in space and the first Space Shuttle launch.

In tribute to the 25th anniversary of the first flight of Space Shuttle, the firing room 1 in the Launch Control Center at Kennedy Space Center is renamed to the Young-Crippen Firing Room, dedicating the firing room that launched the historic flight and the crew of STS-1.

NASA described the mission as: "The boldest test flight in history" [2]

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Trivia

The song "Countdown" by Rush from the 1982 album Signals was written by drummer Neil Peart about STS-1 and the inaugural Space Shuttle flight of Columbia. The song was "dedicated with thanks to astronauts Young & Crippen and all the people of NASA for their inspiration and cooperation". The song "Red Sector A" from their 1983 album Grace Under Pressure was named for the area where the band witnessed the launch.

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