Historic Photos: NASA's 1st & Last Space Shuttle Crews Meet

The First and Last Space Shuttle Crews

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.

The First and Last Space Shuttle Crews

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.

The First and Last Space Shuttle Crews

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

The First and Last Space Shuttle Crews

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.

The First and Last Space Shuttle Crews

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.

STS-1 Patch

NASA

STS-1 patch.

Young and Crippen: History's 1st Shuttle Flyers

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.

The First Space Shuttle

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.

The First Space Shuttle Launch

NASA

The first space shuttle mission, STS-1, launched on April 12, 1981, with astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen onboard space shuttle Columbia.

Columbia's Space Pilot

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.

Columbia's First Skipper

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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