The first Space Shuttle launch (STS-1) was on April 12, 1981. Columbia flew five manned test flights before entering operational status. Challenger's maiden flight, STS-6 was in 1983. Discovery joined the fleet in 1984 with the STS-41D mission. The fourth orbiter, Atlantis first flew in 1985 on STS-51J. Tragically, Space Shuttle Challenger and her crew were lost 73 seconds into mission STS-51L. Two years later, STS-26 saw the shuttle program return to flight and in 1992, Endeavour joined the fleet on mission STS-49.
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