STS-1: SPACE SHUTTLE - A REMARKABLE FLYING MACHINE (1981) - NASA documentary

1st Space Shuttle mission (STS-1) historical documentary
Remastered at 24fps HD with mild noise reduction (sound and image) and color correction.
Retains the vintage analog look and original aspect ratio.
Space Shuttle: A Remarkable Flying Machine (1981)
This film documents the first historic flight of a space shuttle, the U.S. spacecraft Columbia, which launched on April 12, 1981.
The footage highlights liftoff, the onboard activities of astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen, as well as the landing in Rogers Dry Lake bed in California.

[@jimlthor]

I love how excited Young was when he came out of the shuttle. Looked like he had the ride of his life, and would have done it over again instantly if given the opportunity

[@IronMan-tk8uc]

And this was a man who walked on the surface of the freaking Moon! J. Young was really something else!

[@robadams5799]

@@IronMan-tk8ucJohn Young was truly The Man. He makes people who score touchdowns and make music videos look insignificant in comparison.

[@jesus4400]

Una parte de la nave se aleja lentamente, debido a la supuesta baja gravedad, sin embargo los trozos pequeños que salen volando lo hacen a rápida velocidad. Parece que la gravedad es selectiva... Por cierto, ¿qué son esos trozos y papeles que vuelan? ¿Pedazos de la nave? 🤡 Es todo FAKE. Saludos desde la planicie terrestre.

[@davidpowell3191]

John Young had the “right stuff”, as Tom Wolfe taught us. I’m not sure guys like him would survive in the current space culture, but thank God he came along when he did.

[@michaelbee8263]

Sure. He later said he was surprised they didn’t die.

[@AluminumOxide]

what a beautifully made retro space shuttle NASA documentary....and at 14:50 to 15:09 I felt a sence of romance, especially with that sunset at the Johnson space center

[@playgroundchooser]

"Routine." The 8th to last word in the doc really highlights the promise, and ultimate failure, of the STS program. It's a shame, because the Shuttle was so beautiful.

[@goldgamercommenting2990]

I mean it worked until 51l and 107 And without shuttle, falcon 9 or starship wouldn’t be possible We would likely be an average joke without reusability The shuttle was an inspiration for everyone I was born in the late shuttle era. I fell in love with space because of the shuttle Yet the shuttle has its flaws So i would rate the shuttle program a 9/10

[@jacoballen3267]

I LOVE this retro space exploration era! I was born in December of 1980, so I have lived through the entire space shuttle program, and to see how advanced and unique the manned space program was during that particular time just makes me feel nostalgic, back to the time of my earliest childhood.

[@skunkjobb]

It's noteworthy that the shuttle on this flight as well as the flights up to STS-4 when it only had a crew of two was equipped with ejection seats. On the later flights with crews of seven astronauts, there wasn't room for so many ejection seats (and some were seated below the others) so there was no ejection seats. Ejection would probably only have worked in a relatively small part of the flight anyway considering height, speed etc.

[@renekauts8323]

Space Shuttle was the most luxurious spaceship EVER!!! The crew had much more space than ever before. And they landed like real kings, not in a tiny capsule like canned fish. By the way, I've always loved those early shuttle flights(#1-#25) 1981-1986. Even the Control Center computers/monitors were so cool! So retro!

[@executivesteps]

Skylab had way, WAY more room than the Shuttle.

[@kellyweingart3692]

RIP John Young

[@andreadonadello9048]

The space shuttle was the best space program.

[@goldgamercommenting2990]

Agreed

[@robadams5799]

40 years later, we've forgotten what a "remarkable flying machine" we had.

[@loganbaileysfunwithtrains606]

Wasn’t practical, too expensive, and didn’t comply to new safety standards after the loss of Challenger. It was a remarkable flying machine for 1981 but it became dated very quickly.

[@goldgamercommenting2990]

@@loganbaileysfunwithtrains606note without shuttle Falcon 9’s reusability wouldn’t exist The shuttle is still a remarkable flying machine even though it has its flaws.

[@FIREBRAND38]

@@loganbaileysfunwithtrains606 I agree, NASA over-promised on the whole Shuttle program even before the Challenger accident. It was supposed to have a post-flight turnaround time of two weeks with the fleet delivering one launch a week. I just think about all the flight experience we could have developed if goddamn Secretary of Defense McNamara hadn't cancelled the USAF X-20 Dyna-Soar program in January 1963.

[@brentmoseley8889]

Outstanding!! Great clips bringing back lots of good memories!

[@DMNSAV]

I loved how the calls changed over time. These folks were rockstars!

[@csxguy3002]

4:27 - 5:05 my favorite part of this documentary

[@trinarichardson6682]

I love this documentary. I actually have it on DVD. 😊

[@ltv..123]

The only person to walk on the moon and fly the Space Shuttle, an Aerospace Engineer………

[@goldgamercommenting2990]

And an American legend

[@mofo7689]

I wrote my history class "grade" on the history of the flight program from all the way through to the first Shuttle mission. As aeronautical technologies were advancing, my history teacher played down aerodynamic terms that were constantly developing. My Air Force base of family friends spoke with him about precision terms. I was knocked up from a "flat B" to an "A minus". HS class of 1983.

[@anasasiajcrowe]

The Space Shuttle could have been great, it had done so much but yet so little. I really wish NASA had pushed forward to improve the shuttle to it's utmost potential...

[@fred36956]

NASA could not improve the space shuttle because our politicians NEVER gave NASA enough money to so. Yet they allocated over $800 Billion to the Pentagon who spent (tax payer monies) of $1.5 Trillion to finally get all the "bugs" out of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter which by the time it became operational was already OBSOLETE! The USA is no longer "protected" by the vastness of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. If a major war breaks out the USA will be in the same position as were the Allies in WWII. Instead of wasting so much money on national defense it would be better to invest in education, health etc. But if you think about it, the obscene amounts of tax payer money on "national defense" for the MAIN reason of protecting the RICH and powerful Americans, and not us average Americans who have bad healthcare, bad educational system, and a society that rewards only the RICH and corporations rather than the workers whom without, there would be no rich people.

[@SamM-gl9zc]

I would give Almost anything to have been the one to fly that first mission. What a trip!!! I would Love to go to space.

[@paulward4268]

Chad Snow - Easy to say that with 50 years of hindsight.

[@ChrisWMF]

24 minutes in the audio cut out

[@RetroSpaceHD]

That's a problem with background music. YT is usually able to remove it (leaving voices only) but sometimes it reverts to simply cutting sound with no warning. On newer videos, I do music removal myself...

[@robadams5799]

Aliens! ;-)

[@stevej-lakecountyspaceport7478]

You have an audio drop-out from 24:09 until 25:10, and then again from 25:47 to 26:10, then again from 26:52 to 27:20. Video quality is very good.

[@override7486]

This is in original footage as well AFAIK (that is transferred video film) //edit, OP below: "That's a problem with background music. YT is usually able to remove it (leaving voices only) but sometimes it reverts to simply cutting sound with no warning. On newer videos, I do music removal myself..."

[@twngohaombre5602]

wrong. Automatic copyright protection. @@override7486 the guy who made the music for this documentary (or most likely their record label) doesnt want this music heard anywhere else

[@override7486]

@@twngohaombre5602 what's wrong then?

[@ti994apc]

Remarkable? Yes. Practical? No.

[@agena6594]

_"to be launched again and again"_ LOL

[@goldgamercommenting2990]

Complex and practical at the same time? Obviously yes

[@patricklenigan4309]

It always looks bad in hind sight. But, instead, try to look at the program from the perspective of those at the beginning.

[@skunkjobb]

@@agena6594 It was launched again and again but not with as fast turnaround as first expected.

[@straightpipediesel]

@@patricklenigan4309 The problem was when it didn't work out, they should have done something about it. Make Shuttle 2.0, fix the issues. Really should have happened after Challenger. All the government contractors did was just do the minimum to fulfill their contracts. Why should they come up with a better, cheaper system that would result in all those people getting fired? NASA and Congress just wanted the embarrassing problems to go away as fast as possible. Took a second blow-up and another 7 killed for them to finally get off their asses. (They still haven't been able to fire all the Shuttle people even after the Shuttle stopped flying: see SLS)

[@AeroBennett855]

18:24

[@DogSerious]

lol, the earth images from space, so fake.

[@bradleyhale12]

Let me guess, you voted for Biden?

[@DogSerious]

@@bradleyhale12er,no.

[@goldgamercommenting2990]

@@DogSerious CONSPIRACY THEORIST!!!!!

[@DogSerious]

@@goldgamercommenting2990 Sorry, I only deal in facts and common sense, so you're all out of luck there!