After six years of silence, the thunder of manned space flight is heard again, as the successful launch of the first Space Shuttle ushers in a new concept in utilization of space.

The April 12 launch at Pad 39-A, just seconds past 7 a.m., carries Astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen into an Earth orbital mission scheduled to last for 54 hours, ending with unpowered landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California. STS-1, the first in a series of Shuttle Vehicles planned for the Space Transportation System, utilizes reusable launch and return components.

Source: http://grin.hq.nasa.gov