The Space Shuttle Columbia

Space is the frontier of the stars, and one of the greatest unknowns in the universe; collective human understanding of the universe caps at an estimated 5%, rivaled only by our own understanding of the big blue deep beneath us. The mysteries that the universe holds for us drives us to learn and understand every secret is has to offer.

And we do. Boy howdy, do we discover. The drive to understand has led to some of the most amazing discoveries of modern science; cordless tools, memory foam, cochlear implants, the list goes on and on. One of the greatest gifts from this pursuit is the Space Shuttle, a reusable spacefaring vessel that allows us to venture into the stars and explore.

The Space Shuttle Columbia was one such vessel, manufactured by Rockwell International and operated by NASA. It was named after the female personification of the United States, a beacon of hope and prosperity (and a leader in the Space Race), as well as the command module of the Apollo 11 mission, the same one that took Neil Armstrong to the moon.

Columbia was unique in that it was the very first of the “orbiter” Space Shuttle designations; she could withstand a long period of extended outer space travel, not just near atmosphere orbit. Her first mission was during April 12 to April 14 of 1981, piloted by a veteran of the Apollo missions, John Young. Although it was a test flight, it proved that Columbia could handle the mission, no matter what.

Columbia was the hallmark of decades of research. Flying missions well into the early 2000’s, Columbia stood the test of time and proved to the world that the space race was here to stay.

Anyone familiar with the Columbia won’t tell you about that. Anyone who remembers the Columbia will tell you a wildly different story: that the tale of the Columbia ended in tragedy, not in triumph. Anyone who was there when it happened will tell you what they saw. So I implore you, dear reader, before you read my next post, take some time to learn about the successes and stories of the Columbia. Get yourself attuned to her. Get to know the Space Shuttle Columbia before you continue on.

I’ll tell you everything about the end of the Columbia’s story once you come back from learning. Because believe me…it’s not a happy story.