By Alan Silverstein, ajs@frii.com (page updated Fri Jun 25 21:40:10 MDT 2010)
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On April 12, 1981, the space shuttle Columbia blasted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, launching a new era of human spaceflight. This photo was taken on the night before the historic launch. Nemiroff says it's a "historically fascinating, visually interesting image." The two-day checkout flight ended with a safe, airplane-style landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The shuttle program continues, primarily helping NASA complete the international space station.