Space Shuttle STS-61C Launch (www.shuttlesource.com)

[chellysell]

STS-61C launched 16 days before the Challenger accident? Wow, this was the last launch from Pad 39A until STS-32. STS-51L was the first from Pad 39B. The last shuttle from 39B was STS-116.

[Jralvan07]

Columbia :'(

[WojciechSz]

Apogee of Space Shuttle program! Amazing.

[ancestron]

January 12, 1986. last succesfful launch before the Challenger disaster.

[ancestron]

flying with the faulty SRB seals. scary to watch. the SRBs on the shuttles now look like they perform a hundred times better. Its also chilling to hear the "gung-ho" attitude apparent in the communications and the commentator at the beginning.

[nlucas4]

in defense of nasa, this was the 7th attempt to launch this mission so to finally launch (to people who dont know about problems going on within the organization, and physically with the vehicle and components) is exciting

[zaneisafilipino]

Cool launch of Columbia.

[MegaUltraGalactic79]

Look the flares in the SRBs

[MegaUltraGalactic79]

This is the 24th Shuttle Mission

[Babelsberger82]

Beautiful launch of Columbia. Very frightening to know,it would be the last successfull launch before STS-51L...

[TyreseDeShaunWilliam]

pretty damn sweet!

[BigBill783]

Then-Congressman-now Senator Bill Nelson was aboard Columbia on this flight--this was the last successful flight before the Challenger accident--less than weeks later

[mianbentley]

Don't you just love part-time astronauts...