STS-1 BBC Launch Day Coverage (1 of 4)

The full programme broadcast April 12th 1981 to cover the launch of the first Space Shuttle Columbia. Presented by Micheal Rodd with Geoffery Pardoe (and Kieran Prendeville in the USA). This is part 1

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• STS-1
• bbc
• tomorrows
• world
• columbia
• nasa
• space
• shuttle
• john
• young
• bob
• crippen
• 1981
• rocket
• 1st

[HallOfHokum]

I was a boy and terrifically excited at the launch. On the 10th April I recorded the audio of a few news reports of the delay. I don't have the tape any more, but can still remember a large chunk of a piece by David Wilson. "The day began with a glorious sunrise over the flat coastland..."

[lunarmodule5]

I have the April 10th footage. Not sure about the bit you mention but will check at some point.

[billybobmacguyver]

This is some amazing historical video. I hope (if it is you) who owns the physical copy of this video, keeps it safe for future generations. Perhaps it may end up as stock footage on the History Channel one day, lol!

[lunarmodule5]

@billybobmacguyver With regard to the footage I have it seems that people tend to like watching the "main events" raher than the early test flight scrubs or cancellations. For instance I have a few hours of the 10th April attempt to launch Columbia and a few hours of the live coverage of STS-2 scrubbed at T-31 seconds a few weeks before it actually lifted off. I am unsure that people really want to watch that footage so I haven't posted it to Utube.

[lunarmodule5]

@irtelli1 sorry i dont know......ask me a space question!!! lol

[lunarmodule5]

@irtelli1 sorry i dont know......ask me a space question!!! lol

[ndgreenaway]

great footage..always nice to see BBC stuff particularly..thou i do tend to feel that the shuttle as magnificent as it is/was..i feel was a mistake in the long term

[legendaric]

The commentary about the "rumor" of a Russian spacecraft being in the works was funny... I guess they hadn't heard of Russia's Buran shuttle program at the time.

[lunarmodule5]

@billybobmacguyver - I have a lot of footage of the early Shuttle flights, mostly from British TV, but more and more seems to be available in the past 5 years. This might be because people have started to transfer their VHS onto DVD or digital. I know some people who have digitised their copies and keep them safe for future reference etc.