The first launch.
It was April 12, 1981. I was in middle school, and I was a total space geek. I had followed the space program faithfully for years between Apollo and Shuttle. (I even kept track of the end of Skylab and made a poster that I hung in my window when Skylab came back to Earth. "Skylab land here." I had practiced drawing space shuttles on paper, had the blueprints, models, and even a signed picture from someone at Nasa.
I remember this first launch being a big deal. In the days of just 4 television stations, all were covering the event live. (Even PBS) Coverage started at least 12 hours in advance and ran 12 hours past launch. I begged, and my mom let me stay home from school to watch the launch of the first space shuttle. She said it would be a "once in a lifetime" event. (This is also the same woman who sat me down in front on the tv for EVERY Apollo launch, even though I was too young to remember it)
I remember the commentators talking about the risks and dangers. First time shuttle was lifting off, first time SRB's would be used, first time computers would be used. Very exciting.
I also remember it being very patriotic at the time. The country was rallying around a wounded President, who had been shot a few weeks before. The cold war was turning in America's favor, and EVERYBODY still loved those USA Hockey players. Positive times.
The clock counted down, the mains and SRB's lit up, and Walter Cronkite commented on the new future for America in space. For a young teenage boy in Colorado. It was a future still being lived out.
