when was it launched?
April 12, 1981
Space Shuttle program
leading to the launch of the first space-worthy shuttle "Columbia" on April 12, 1981 
16. what are the three phases of space shuttle flight Design Phase, Firing Phase, Landing phase what exactly is this space vehicle for? The Space Shuttle was a partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system can you name a few people who were involved in launching this? UNANSWERABLE are there any accidents associated with it? Yes,  STS-51-L disintegrated 73 seconds after launch, due to the failure of the right SRB, killing all seven astronauts on board "Challenger". what is the shuttle program mentioned above about? It was the program to carry out routine transportation for Earth-to-orbit crew and cargo; as well as the final flight of Space Shuttle "Challenger". which was the first shuttle to be launched in this program? "Columbia"
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Space Shuttle program [SEP] Background
In 2004, according to President George W. Bush's Vision for Space Exploration, use of the Space Shuttle was to be focused almost exclusively on completing assembly of the ISS, which was far behind schedule at that point. The first experimental orbiter "Enterprise" was a high-altitude glider, launched from the back of a specially modified Boeing 747, only for initial atmospheric landing tests (ALT). "Enterprise"'s first test flight was on February 18, 1977, only five years after the Shuttle program was formally initiated; leading to the launch of the first space-worthy shuttle "Columbia" on April 12, 1981 on STS-1. The Space Shuttle program finished with its last mission, STS-135 flown by "Atlantis", in July 2011, retiring the final Shuttle in the fleet.