Augusta Georgia: STS-107:Columbia was heaviest, oldest of NASA's four space shuttles 02/02/03

Columbia was heaviest, oldest of NASA's four space shuttles

Web posted Saturday, February 1, 2003

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Columbia made the first space shuttle flight history on April 12, 1981. It was the heaviest of NASA's four shuttles, and had been refurbished three times since its first flight. A brief look at the shuttle fleet:

Columbia

Weight: 178,000 lbs.

First flight: April 12, 1981

Number of flights: 28 (lost Feb. 1, 2003)

Challenger

Weight: 175,111 lbs.

First flight: April 4, 1983

Number of flights: 10 (exploded on launch Jan. 28, 1986)

Discovery

Weight: 171,000 lbs.

First flight: Aug. 30, 1984

Number of flights: 30

Atlantis

Weight: 171,000 lbs.

First flight: Oct. 3, 1985

Number of flights: 26

Endeavour

Weight: 172,000 lbs.

First flight: May 7, 1992 (replaced Challenger)

Number of flights: 19

--From the Sunday, February 2, 2003 printed edition of the Augusta Chronicle