WIKIARCHIVES.SPACE

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Heavy, blast-proof steel louvers seal the large windows of the Launch Control Center’s firing room against mishaps that fail to occur when the first flight of the Space Shuttle is launched from Pad 39A 3.5 mile away. Launch staff, intently watching their computer readouts and TV monitors during the critical moments of launch, will cheer and wave miniature American flags when Astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen complete their fiery rocket ascent safely.