• Subscriber Services(Opens in new window)
    • Subscribe here(Opens in new window)
    • Manage subscription(Opens in new window)
    • EZ Pay(Opens in new window)
    • Vacation Stop(Opens in new window)
    • Benefits of subscribing(Opens in new window)
    • Sun Insider
  • Read today's newspaper(Opens in new window)
    • Baltimore Sun(Opens in new window)
    • Evening Edition(Opens in new window)
    • Carroll County Times(Opens in new window)
    • Capital Gazette(Opens in new window)
    • The Aegis(Opens in new window)
    • Carroll Evening Edition(Opens in new window)
  • Advertise With Us(Opens in new window)
  • Latest
  • Maryland
    • Anne Arundel County
    • Baltimore City
    • Baltimore County
    • Carroll County
    • Harford County
    • Howard County
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Sun Investigates
    • Environment
  • Nation & World
  • Sports
    • Baltimore Orioles
    • Baltimore Ravens
    • College Sports
    • High School sports
    • Sports Analysis
    • Terps
    • Horse Racing
  • Business
    • Consumer Reviews
    • Autos(Opens in new window)
    • Real Estate
    • Top Workplaces 2022
    • Best Reviews(Opens in new window)
  • Politics
    • Elections
  • Health
    • Coronavirus
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Arts
    • Music
    • Events(Opens in new window)
    • TV
    • TV Schedule
    • Horoscopes
    • Comics
  • Features
    • Newsmaker
    • Hot Properties
    • Home
    • Travel
    • Retro Baltimore
  • Food & Drink
  • Calendar
  • Fun & Games(Opens in new window)
    • Horoscopes(Opens in new window)
    • Jumble Daily(Opens in new window)
    • Daily Crossword(Opens in new window)
    • Solitaire(Opens in new window)
    • Bubble Shooter HD(Opens in new window)
  • Obituaries
    • Death Notices(Opens in new window)
    • Editorial Obituaries
    • Place a Notice(Opens in new window)
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Readers Respond
    • Op-ed
    • Columnists
    • Submit letter to the editor(Opens in new window)
    • Submit an op-ed(Opens in new window)
  • Weather
  • Photos
    • Picturing Maryland(Opens in new window)
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • Help Center
    • Awards
    • Special sections(Opens in new window)
    • 2023 interns(Opens in new window)
    • Mary J. Corey Internship(Opens in new window)
    • About our ads(Opens in new window)
    • RSS
  • Branded Content
    • Advertising by Ascend(Opens in new window)
    • Paid content by Brandpoint(Opens in new window)
    • Paid Partner Content(Opens in new window)
  • More(Opens in new window)
    • Archives(Opens in new window)
    • Reprints & Licensing(Opens in new window)
    • Classifieds
    • En español
    • Privacy Policy(Opens in new window)
    • Public Notices(Opens in new window)
    • TAG disclosure(Opens in new window)
    • Terms of Service(Opens in new window)
    • The Sun Store
Advertisement

50 years of NASA: Shuttle mission photos

Sep 28, 2008 at 12:40 am
Image 1 of 141
Space shuttle Columbia blasts off on its maiden voyage in 1981.
Space shuttle Columbia lifts off on her maiden flight April 12,1981 on STS-1.
Aerial views of the STS-2 launch from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center. This photograph of the Columb
Space shuttle Columbia, STS-3, on it's launch pad configuration prior to its scheduled 11 a.m. launc
Space shuttle Columbia lifts off from launch pad 39A on mission STS-4.
Launch view of the STS-5 mission shows the space shuttle Columbia begining to clear tower, the solid
The launch of STS-6 Space shuttle Challenger.
Space shuttle Challenger, STS-7, launches at Kennedy Space Center.
STS-8 night launch of space shuttle Challenger at Kennedy Space Center.
Space shuttle Columbia lifts off for STS-9 on Nov. 28, 1983.
Space shuttle Challenger lifts off for mission 41-B on Feb. 3, 1984.
Space shuttle Challenger lifts off from launch pad 39A on mission 41C at the Kennedy Space Center in
Space shuttle Challenger lifts off for mission 41-B on Feb. 3, 1984.
Dozens of press cameras record the launch of STS 41-D mission and shuttle Discovery on Aug. 30, 1984
View of the early morning launch of STS 41-G Challenger. The dark launch complex is illuminated by s
The view from across the water of the launch of STS 51-A shuttle Discovery. The orbiter is just clea
Space shuttle Discovery lifts off for mission 51-C.
View from below as the shuttle Discovery leaves the launch pad to begin the STS 51-D mission. Both s
Liftoff of shuttle Challenger and mission STS 51-B. The shuttle orbiter, its external tank and one o
View of the shuttle Discovery, its external tank and two solid rocket boosters speeding from the Ken
Launch of mission 51-F, space shuttle Challenger.
Launch of the shuttle Discovery and begining of STS 51-I mission. View of the pre-dawn launch shows
Liftoff of first flight of Atlantis and the STS 51-J mission. Mid-day skies of Florida form the back
Teachers Barbara R. Morgan and Sharon Christa McAuliffe (right) watch the STS 61-A launch of Challen
Night launch of the Shuttle Atlantis and begining of STS 61-B mission. Reflections of the launch can
Launch of the Shuttle Columbia and begining of STS 61-C mission. The bright dot at the end of the co
Contrails and puffs of smoke left in the sky from the space shuttle Challenger disaster on Jan. 28,
Space shuttle Challenger launches from Pad 39B at 13 seconds after 11:39 a.m. on Jan. 28, 1986.
STS-26 liftoff of space shuttle Discovery.
Space shuttle orbiter Atlantis takes flight on its STS-27 mission, Dec. 2, 1988, utilizing 375,000 p
An oceanside view of the STS-29 Discovery launch from Pad 39B.
Space shuttle Atlantis lifts off for STS-30 on May 4, 1989.
Space shuttle Columbia lifts off for STS-28 on Aug. 8, 1989.
STS-34 Atlantis, lifts off from Kennedy Space Center launch complex pad 39B at 12:53 pm. OV-104 atop
Space shuttle Discovery launches for STS-33 on Nov. 23, 1989.
Sea Oats along the beach at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge frame space shuttle Columbia's,
Space shuttle Columbia lifts off for STS-32 at Kennedy Space Center on Jan. 9, 1990.
Space shuttle Atlantis lifts off from Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center the morning of Feb. 28, 19
The space shuttle Columbia on Pad 39A during the picture-perfect ascent of sister ship Discovery aft
Space shuttle Discovery lifts off Pad 39B from Kennedy Space Center the morning of Oct. 6, 1990 for
Space shuttle Atlantis leaves Pad 39A on a secret military mission on Nov. 15, 1990. STS-38.
Space shuttle Columbia launches on Dec. 2, 1990 for STS-35.
Liftoff of the shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-37 on April 5, 1991 in Cape Canaveral, Fla.
Space shuttle Discovery heads skyward on STS-39 on the morning of April 28, 1991.
Space shuttle Columbia lifts off on June 5, 1991 for STS-40.
Space shuttle Atlantis lifts off for STS-43.
STS-48 Discovery soars into the evening sky after lifting off from Kennedy Space Center at 7:11:04 p
Space shuttle Atlantis launches for STS-44 on Nov. 24, 1991.
Air-to-air view, taken from the weather-monitoring Shuttle Training Aircraft, shows STS-42 Discovery
Atlantis lifts off from a Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex Pad at 8:13 a.m.
Photo of STS-49 taken from atop the VAB building at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.
Space shuttle Columbia launches from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center on June 25, 1992 on STS-50.
Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis, the STS-46 mission's primary objectives included the dep
Space shuttle Endeavour lifts off for STS-47 on Sept. 12, 1992.
Space shuttle Columbia watchers line the docks at Rotary Park on US 1 on the Indian River to view th
A Great Blue Heron takes flight Dec. 2, 1992 moments before shuttle Discovery lifts off on its 15th
STS-54 Endeavour soars into the morning sky after liftoff from Kennedy Space Center.
Space shuttle Discovery streaks through the sky - where the bright streak stops is when the solid ro
STS-55 Columbia lifts off from Kennedy Space Center  at 10:50 a.m.
The first flight of the commercially developed SPACEHAB laboratory module begins with the flawless l
Space shuttle Discovery leaves the launch pad for a nine-day stay in the Earth's orbit to support th
This distant shot of Columbia on its way to Earth's orbit was captured on film from the Shuttle Trai
Space shuttle Endeavour lifts off with a crew of six NASA astronauts, a Swiss mission specialist and
The early morning sun colors the Orlando skyline as the shuttle Discovery lifts off from nearby Kenn
With a veteran crew aboard, the space shuttle Columbia roars off Launch Pad 39B to begin a 14-day ex
Space shuttle Endeavour heads for its sixth mission in space. Liftoff occurred at 7:05 a.m., April 9
STS-65 Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle 102, rises above Kennedy Space Center Pad 39A after liftoff at 12:4
The space shuttle Discovery soars skyward from Launch Pad 39B on Mission STS-64 at 6:22:35 p.m. Sept
The space shuttle Endeavour lifts off from Launch Pad 39A in a halo of light.
Hundreds of birds scatter as the typical quiet reverie of their day is temporarily broken by the roa
This wide lux image of the space shuttle Discovery as it began its race to catch up with Russia's Mi
On March 2, 1995, the space shuttle Endeavour lauched carrying unique telescopes. The 15-day mission
The space shuttle Atlantis rollos out to launch pad 39A, aboard the crawler-transporter in preparati
The second shuttle launch in 16 days hurtles off the pad into a sweltering summer sky. The unstable
Marsh driftwood and Florida shrubbery frame the liftoff phase of the Space Shuttle Endeavour as it b
Space shuttle Columbia launches on mission STS-73.
Launch of space shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-74.
Space shuttle Endeavour blasts off for the first launch of 1996.
Space shuttle Columbia takes off on a 13-day mission that will include deployment of a tethered sate
Space shuttle Atlantis blasts off from launch pad 39B on a nine-day mission to dock with the Russian
The space shuttle Endeavour, atop the Mobile Launcher Platform and Crawler-Transporter, slowly lumbe
Space shuttle Columbia takes off from the launch pad.
The space shuttle Atlantis lifts off from launch pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. The approximat
Space shuttle Columbia lifts off through partly cloudy skies. The shuttle later launched a satellite
Space shuttle Columbia blasts off from launch pad 39B on a 16-day mission in space.
Discovery soars through the sky after launching at 3:55 a.m. on a 10-day mission to upgrade the Hubb
Space shuttle Columbia lifts off. This photo was taken from atop the Kennedy Space Center Vehicle As
The space shuttle Atlantis is reflected in a canal after lifting off from Kennedy Space Center's lau
Space shuttle Columbia launches on mission STS-94.
Space shuttle Discovery blasts off from Cape Canaveral, the 10th straight time NASA has launched a s
The space shuttle Atlantis blazes through the night sky to begin the STS-86 mission, slated to be th
Space shuttle Columbia pierces through the clouds after take off for mission STS-87.
The space shuttle Endeavour blasts off on time on a mission to dock with the Russian Space Station M
The space shuttle Columbia soars from the launch pad to begin the nearly 17-day STS-90 Neurolab miss
The Space Coast's natural foliage frames the space shuttle Discovery and the reflection of the inten
Space shuttle Discovery carrying astronaut John Glenn, 77, back into space lifts off from launch pad
Space shuttle Endeavour lights up the sky as it rockets skyward with the second part of the Internat
This spectacular photo is of the liftoff of the space shuttle Discovery. The STS-96 mission, of almo
Space shuttle Columbia takes off from Cape Canaveral on STS-93.
As if spawned by the clouds of smoke and steam below, the space shuttle Discovery shoots into the ni
Space shuttle Endeavour lifts off from launch pad 39A on an 11-day mission to conduct radar mapping
Space shuttle Atlantis streaks in the pre-dawn sky early Friday morning. During the 10-day mission,
Space shuttle Atlantis blasts off on time for a 10-day mission to service the International Space St
After repeated delays space shuttle Discovery finally blasts off on an assembly mission to the inter
Nearby waters reflect the flames of the space shuttle Endeavor as it lifts off Nov. 30, 2000, carryi
As a gorgeous full moon rose above the eastern horizon, the space shuttle Atlantis streaked skyward
Shuttle Discovery wins a race against the sun to rid the sky of its darkness during the early-mornin
Space shuttle Endeavour departs on schedule for its mission to the International Space Station.
The space shuttle Atlantis blasts off for a mission to the International Space Station on July 12, 2
Space shuttle Discovery blasts off for mission STS-105 at 5:10 p.m. on Aug. 10, 2001 on a 12-day mis
NASA security officials patrol the launch pad area at Kennedy Space Center before the scrubbed Endea
Space shuttle Endeavour lifts off from pad 39B on an 11-day mission to the International Space Stati
Space shuttle Columbia lights the eastern sky as it blasts off at 6:22 a.m. from Cape Canaveral.
Space shuttle Atlantis soars off launch pad 39B on a 11-day mission to the International Space Stati
Space shuttle Endeavour lifts off on a 12-day mission to the International Space Station.
Aboard the space shuttle Orbiter Endeavour, the STS-111 mission was launched on June 5, 2002 at 5:22
Space shuttle Atlantis blasts off on a 11-day mission to the International Space Station on Oct. 7,
Space shuttle Endeavour's liftoff is captured by a time exposure. This view is from the roof of the
Space shuttle Columbia and its seven-member crew, including Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut,
Space shuttle Columbia and its seven-member crew, including Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut,
Kennedy Space Center security officers Bruce Forton (right) and Mike Orr (left) lower the American f
Space shuttle Discovery rolls out on April 6, 2005 to its seaside launch pad 39B. Shuttle Discovery
Space shuttle Discovery lifts off the launch pad at Cape Canaveral. STS-121, the second launch since
Space shuttle Atlantis lifts off the launch pad Saturday morning, Sept. 9, 2006. The crew included p
Space shuttle Discovery lifts off the launch pad  for the first night launch in four years. Discover
Space shuttle Atlantis riding piggyback on a modified 747 jumbo jet arrives at the Kennedy Space Cen
Storm clouds hover over the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center as NASA postpones the
Space shuttle Atlantis blasts off from launch pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, F
A spider (center) stretches across its web Aug. 6, 2007 near launch pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center.
Space shuttle Endeavour lifts off at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral.
The warm light of a setting sun illuminates a cloud bank as space shuttle Discovery, STS-120, is poi
Space shuttle Discovery, STS-120, on launch pad 39A , Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
Space shuttle Discovery, STS-120, is reflected in a rear-view mirror as a storm front approaches lau
Space shuttle Discovery launches for mission STS-120 from the Kennedy Space Center.
Space shuttle Atlantis blasts off from launch pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Feb.
Space shuttle Endeavour blasts off into the night sky on March 11, 2008 at the Kennedy Space Center.
Space shuttle Endeavour blasts off into the night sky at the Kennedy Space Center.
Space shuttle Discovery lands safely at the Kennedy Space Center after completing a 14-day mission.
Space shuttle Discovery and a crew of seven astronauts lifts off from launch pad 39a at the Kennedy
Space shuttle Discovery and a crew of seven astronauts launches  from launch pad 39a on a mission to
Space shuttle Discovery on launch pad 39a is bathed in warm light as the sun sets at the Kennedy Spa

Space shuttle Columbia blasts off on its maiden voyage in 1981. (RED HUBER, ORLANDO SENTINEL)

Recommended Photo Galleries
Catonsville High School commencement | PHOTOS

Catonsville High School commencement | PHOTOS


Westminster Youth Softball Recreation League | PHOTOS

Westminster Youth Softball Recreation League | PHOTOS


Westminster HS - Owl's Nest food pantry | PHOTOS

Westminster HS - Owl's Nest food pantry | PHOTOS

Advertisement
LATEST
Sports

After Maryland’s Frances Tiafoe loses close match, no American men remain in French Open

1h
After Maryland’s Frances Tiafoe loses close match, no American men remain in French Open

Terps

College baseball roundup: Johns Hopkins advances to final day of bracket play in College World Series

1h
College baseball roundup: Johns Hopkins advances to final day of bracket play in College World Series

Nation & World

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signs bill banning gender-affirming care for minors

1h
Texas Gov. Abbott signs ban on gender-affirming care for minors

Advertisement
Footer Logo

CONNECT

TRIBUNE PUBLISHING

  • Chicago Tribune
  • Orlando Sentinel
  • The Morning Call of Pa.
  • Daily Press of Va.
  • Studio 1847
  • New York Daily News
  • Sun Sentinel of Fla.
  • Hartford Courant
  • The Virginian-Pilot

COMPANY INFO

  • About us
  • Help Center
  • Careers
  • Privacy Policy
  • Manage Web Notifications
  • Advertise With Us
  • California Notice at Collection
  • Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
  • About our ads
  • Contact us
  • Classifieds
  • Terms of Service
  • Archives
  • Site Map
  • Notice of Financial Incentive
  • Cookie Policy
  • Cookie Preferences

Copyright © 2023, Baltimore Sun