History of the Space Shuttle
0.02009·7h 38m
Columbia's autonomous journey around the Earth during February 1981 opened a new chapter in space exploration. The advent of a "spaceworthy" vehicle severed our dependence upon "Mission Control," and placed the emphasis upon the new vistas observed by the astronauts themselves. The Space Shuttle represented the culmination of more than a century's worth of thought and technological experimentation.
