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STS-1: America's first space shuttle mission
 The space shuttle era was born on April 12, 1981 when astronauts John Young and Bob Crippen rode Columbia into Earth orbit from Kennedy Space Center's launch pad 39A. The two-day flight proved the shuttle could get into space as a rocket and return safely with a runway landing. Following the voyage of STS-1, the two astronauts narrated this film of the mission highlights and told some of their personal thoughts on the flight.
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STS-2: First reusable spaceship
 Seven months after the successful maiden voyage of space shuttle Columbia, astronauts Joe Engle and Richard Truly took the orbiter back into space on mission STS-2. The November 12, 1981 launch demonstrated that the space shuttle was the world's first reusable manned spacecraft. Although their mission would be cut short, Engle and Truly performed the first tests of the shuttle's Canadian-made robotic arm. The crew tells the story of the mission in this post-flight presentation.
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Endeavour on the pad again
Following shuttle Endeavour's overnight rollout to the launch pad Wednesday, reporters and photographers were invited to Complex 39 to see the vehicle at sunrise. A collection of images is posted here.
Photo credit: Justin Ray/Spaceflight Now
Neighboring pad 39B
Left to right: Cape Canaveral's complexes 41, 40 and 37
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