The space shuttle era began on April 12, 1981, when Columbia became the first in NASA’s reusable spaceplane fleet to rocket into obit. Veteran astronaut John Young of Orlando and rookie Bob Crippen ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I cover the future of astronautics and space technologies. This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more. This voice ...

Rocket launches can be scrubbed for a variety of reasons, from technical issues to foreign objects. Retired Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach recalled scrubs caused by a ballpoint pen, boats, and ...