Quoted By:
STS-1 – the first Space Shuttle mission – launched 43 years ago today from NASA Kennedy Space Center. The orbiter for STS-1 was the Columbia, which circled the Earth 37 times over the span of the 54-hour mission. The Shuttle program inspired a lot of Americans, particularly kids in the 80’s and 90’s, to get interested in space. I’m hopeful the next evolution of human spaceflight will help keep the inspiration alive!
-Buzz Aldrin