THIS DAY IN HISTORY: Space Shuttle Columbia Lifts Off From Cape Canaveral In 1982
By Space Coast Daily // March 22, 2016
Launched On March 22, 1982
ABOVE VIDEO: The space shuttle Columbia (STS-3) lifted off from Cape Canaveral on its third flight, and only the third mission of the space shuttle program, on March 22, 1982. (NASA TV)
BREVARD COUNTY • CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – The space shuttle Columbia (STS-3) lifted off from Cape Canaveral on its third flight, and only the third mission of the space shuttle program, on this date in 1982.
Despite a one hour delay due to failure of a nitrogen gas ground support line heater, the mission was successfully completed and demonstrated a safe orbiter re-launch and return.
The crew members onboard were pilot Charles Gordon Fullerton and Commander Jack R. Lousma.
Their journey lasted eight days, landing in White Sands, New Mexico on March 30 and returning to Kennedy Space Center on April 6. Columbia would go on to fly 28 missions, logging over 125 million miles before being lost during reentry on February 1, 2003.
Columbia’s third mission also debuted the shuttle’s unpainted tank (orange) and a test canister for the Small Self-Contained Payload program known as the Getaway Special or GAS can.