NASA launched the Columbia Space Shuttle for its final test flight, STS-4.
Columbia launched from the Kennedy Space Center at 15:00:00 UTC, making it the first shuttle flight that took off at the exact time it was scheduled for. The flight was successful, but the shuttle’s detachable booster rockets were lost when their parachutes failed to open. Columbia landed at Edwards Air Force Base seven days later, and the Space Shuttle Program was given the go-ahead.