A Look Back at the First Ever Space Shuttle Mission

By Nancy Atkinson - July 7, 2011 at 2:00 PM UTC | Space Exploration

As we await the final launch of a space shuttle, here's a blast from the past: the first ever space shuttle mission (complete with early 80's funky music). Columbia launched on the first flight (STS-1) on April 12, 1981 and landed in California on April 14.