Space Program in the 1980's

First flight of the Space Transport System

Apr 12, 1981

The space shuttle Columbia is piloted by John Young and Robert Crippin on mission STS-1, the first mission of the entire program.

Challenger is launched

Nov 11, 1982

A new addition is made to the space shuttle fleet.

First american woman astronaut in space

Jun 18, 1983

Sally Ride goes up in the Challenger for mission STS-7.

First African-American astronaut in space

Aug 30, 1983

Guion S. Bluford travels in the Challenger for mission STS-8.

First untethered space walks

Feb 7, 1984

Bruce McCandless and Robert Stewart use jet backpacks on a space wlak on a Challenger flight.

First flight of the space shuttle Discovery

Aug 30, 1984

A new addition to NASA's space shuttle fleet.

First flight of the space shuttle Atlantis

Aug 8, 1985

Yet another joins the space shuttle fleet.

Atlantis deploys a probe

Oct 3, 1985

The space shuttle Atlantis deploys a classified satellite for the Department of Defense.

Space shuttle Challenger explodes

Jan 28, 1986

Chalenger went through booster failure and exploded 73 seconds into its ascent killing all on board.

First space shuttle launch since Challenger incident

Sep 29, 1988

Discovery is launched and launches a satellite.

first U.S. planetary mission in 11 years and first launched from a space shuttle

May 4, 1989

The Magellan Venus probe is launched from Discovery.

Atlantis launches probe

Oct 18, 1989

Atlantis space shuttle launches the Galileo spacecraft headed for Jupiter.