The first space shuttle to orbit Earth was Columbia. Launched on April 12, 1981, STS-1 marked a significant milestone in space exploration.
Columbia completed its mission with a successful landing on April 14, 1981, after two days in orbit. The shuttle carried two astronauts, John Young and Robert Crippen, who monitored the vehicle’s systems and tested various procedures critical for future missions.
This flight demonstrated the shuttle’s capabilities for safe transportation into space and offered valuable data on the shuttle’s performance, paving the way for subsequent missions in the shuttle program.