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National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationSpace ShuttleLaunch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
STS-1
Launched
April 12, 1981
Summary
STS-1 launched on a National Aeronautics and Space Administration Space Shuttle from Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA on April 12, 1981. It was National Aeronautics and Space Administration's 135th launch, 1st this year and humanity's 2,427th orbital launch attempt. It was the 1st Space Shuttle flight. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). It reached a 246 × 257 km orbit inclined 40.4°. 2 crew members flew: John Young and Robert Crippen. The spacecraft was Space Shuttle Columbia (OV-102). One object from this launch is catalogued.
- Watch
- STS-1: Space Shuttle ColumbiaLaunch Library
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Test Flight · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 1st Space Shuttle flightNational Aeronautics and Space Administration's 135th launch1st this yearhumanity's 2,427th orbital launch attempt36th orbital launch attempt this year
Crew
John YoungCommander · NASA · age 50 · 6th flight
Robert CrippenPilot · NASA · age 43 · first flight
Spacecraft
Space Shuttle Columbia (OV-102)
Space Shuttle Columbia (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-102) was the first space-rated orbiter in NASA's Space Shuttle fleet. It launched for the first time on mission STS-1 on April 12, 1981, the first flight of the Space Shuttle program. Over 22 years of service, it completed 27 missions before disintegrating during re-entry near the end of its 28th mission, STS-107 on February 1, 2003, resulting in the deaths of all seven crew members.
- Destination: Low Earth Orbit
- Mission length: 2 days 6 hours
Space Shuttle Columbia successfully landed at Edwards Air Force Base after this mission.
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Columbia (STS-1) · NORAD 12399 · 1981-034 · Space-Track
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 1981-034A
- Epoch
- 1981-04-12 11:53:25 UTC
- Mean motion
- 16.10930225 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0008761
- Inclination
- 40.3505°
- Ascending node
- 262.129°
- Arg. of perigee
- 212.5283°
- Mean anomaly
- 147.5016°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 0
- B*
- 0.002351
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
1 catalogued: 1 payload; none still in orbit
- Columbia (STS-1) · NORAD 12399 · landed April 14, 1981
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
STS-1 was the first orbital spaceflight of the Space Shuttle Program. The first orbiter Columbia took a 54.5 hour flight and circled the Earth 36 times. This was NASAs first craft to be manned during a testflight. Manned by John Young and Bob Crippen.
Pad
Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
13th launch from Launch Complex 39A, 1st this year · 18th from Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
224 launches from this pad · 283 from Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
about 8 years after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did STS-1 launch?
STS-1 launched on April 12, 1981. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch STS-1?
Coverage: STS-1: Space Shuttle Columbia. Watch the replay
What rocket launched STS-1?
Space Shuttle, flown by National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Space Shuttle spec sheet
Where did STS-1 launch from?
Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA.
What orbit did STS-1 reach?
It reached a 246 × 257 km orbit inclined 40.4°.
Which program is STS-1 part of?
Space Shuttle. About Space Shuttle