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The First and Last Space Shuttle Crews
Credit: NASA / Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool
The current and former astronauts who formed the crews of STS-1, the first space shuttle mission, and STS-135, the final shuttle mission, pose for a group photo at the Johnson Space Center in Houston on Nov. 2, 2011. They are, from left, STS-1 commander John Young and pilot Robert Crippen with STS-135 commander Chris Ferguson, pilot Doug Hurley, and mission specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim.
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The First and Last Space Shuttle Crews
Credit: NASA/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool
The current and former astronauts who formed the crews of STS-1, the first space shuttle mission, and STS-135, the final shuttle mission, pose for a group photo in a training facility at the Johnson Space Center in Houston on Nov. 2, 2011. They are, from left, Doug Hurley, STS-135 pilot, Robert Crippen, STS-1 pilot, John Young, STS-1 commander, with STS-135 commander Chris Ferguson, and mission specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim.
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The First and Last Space Shuttle Crews
Credit: NASA/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool
The current and former astronauts who formed the crews of STS-1, the first space shuttle mission, and STS-135, the final shuttle mission, pose for a group photo at the Johnson Space Center in Houston on Nov. 2, 2011. They are, from left, Doug Hurley, STS-135 pilot, Robert Crippen, STS-1 pilot, John Young, STS-1 commander, with STS-135 commander Chris Ferguson, and mission specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim
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The First and Last Space Shuttle Crews
Credit: NASA/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool
The current and former astronauts who formed the crews of STS-1, the first space shuttle mission, and STS-135, the final shuttle mission, pose for a group photo at the Johnson Space Center in Houston on Nov. 2, 2011. They are, from left, Doug Hurley, STS-135 pilot, Robert Crippen, STS-1 pilot, John Young, STS-1 commander, with STS-135 commander Chris Ferguson, and mission specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim.
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The First and Last Space Shuttle Crews
Credit: NASA/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool
The current and former astronauts who formed the crews of STS-1, the first space shuttle mission, and STS-135, the final shuttle mission, pose for a group photo at the Johnson Space Center in Houston on Nov. 2, 2011. They are, from left, John Young, STS-1 commander, Robert Crippen, STS-1 pilot, with the STS-135 crew of commander Chris Ferguson, pilot Doug Hurley and mission specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim.
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STS-1 Patch
Credit: NASA
STS-1 patch.
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Young and Crippen: History's 1st Shuttle Flyers
Credit: NASA
These two astronauts were the prime crewmen for the first flight in the Space Transportation System (STS-1) program. Astronauts John W. Young, left, commander, and Robert L. Crippen, pilot, will man the space shuttle orbiter 102 Columbia for the first orbital flight test.
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The First Space Shuttle
Credit: NASA
The space shuttle Columbia, NASA's first orbiter, is showered with lights in this nocturnal scene at Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., during preparations for the first flight (STS-1) of NASA's new reusable spacecraft system. This photo was taken in March 1981 ahead of Columbia's April 12, 1981 launch.
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The First Space Shuttle Launch
Credit: NASA
The first space shuttle mission, STS-1, launched on April 12, 1981, with astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen onboard space shuttle Columbia.
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Columbia's Space Pilot
Credit: NASA
Astronaut Robert L. Crippen, pilot for STS-1 takes advantage of zero-gravity to do some rare acrobatics on the middeck of the space shuttle Columbia in Earth orbit during the two-day mission between April 12 and April 14 in 1981.
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Columbia's First Skipper
Credit: NASA
Astronaut John W. Young, mans the commander's station in the Columbia during the 36-orbit STS-1 flight. A loose leaf notebook with flight activities data floats in the weightless environment. Young is wearing a three piece constant wear flight suit. This 35mm photo was taken by astronaut Robert L. Crippen between April 12 and April 14, 1981.
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Welcome Back, Astronauts
Credit: NASA
Columbia shuttle astronaut Robert L. Crippen, pilot for the STS-1 flight, exists the the orbiter after a successful landing at Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards Air Force Base, California on April 14, 1981. Astronaut John W. Young, crew commander, had earlier exited the craft and can be seen standing at the foot of the steps with George W. S. Abbey, director of flight operations at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). Dr. Craig L. Fischer, chief of the medical operations branch in JSC's medical sciences division, follows Crippen down the steps.
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STS-135 Patch
Credit: NASA
STS-135 patch.
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STS-135 Crew at Rollout
Shuttle Atlantis' final crew, commander Chris Ferguson, pilot Doug Hurley and mission specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, stand in front of the orbiter as it rolls out to the launch pad one last time.
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Atlantis Crew Waves to the Press
Credit: Imelda Joson and Edwin Aguirre
Mission specialists Rex Walheim and Sandy Magnus, shuttle pilot Doug Hurley, and shuttle commander Christopher Ferguson (from left to right) wave to the crowd for the traditional photo op before boarding the NASA van that would transport them to the launch pad on July 8, 2011
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STS-135 TCDT Walkout
The four astronauts on shuttle Atlantis' final mission, the STS-135 flight, conducted a dress rehearsal for their July liftoff on June 23.
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Last Shuttle Launch
Credit: NASA Kennedy (via Twitter)
Atlantis appears to fly past flags at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on July 8, 2011.
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Atlantis Goes Transonic
Credit: Imelda Joson and Edwin Aguirre
This view of vapor clouds forming atop the twin solid-rocket boosters as the shuttle Atlantis and its launch stack approached the speed of sound was captured from behind the countdown clock using a Canon EOS 7D digital SLR camera coupled to a Takahashi FS-78 apochromatic refractor on July 8, 2011.
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Crowd Greets Atlantis
Credit: NASA/Frankie Martin
Space shuttle Atlantis is slowly towed from the Shuttle Landing Facility to an orbiter processing facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the last time on July 21, 2011. A crowd of NASA workers is on hand for an employee appreciation event.
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Space Shuttle Atlantis American Flag
Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
An American flag flaps proudly in the wind in front of space shuttle Atlantis on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
