{"id":168370,"date":"2021-05-19T16:19:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-19T20:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-471062"},"modified":"2023-09-11T14:06:57","modified_gmt":"2023-09-11T18:06:57","slug":"40-years-ago-sts-1-astronauts-young-and-crippen-honored-at-the-white-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/40-years-ago-sts-1-astronauts-young-and-crippen-honored-at-the-white-house\/","title":{"rendered":"40 Years Ago: STS-1 Astronauts Young and Crippen Honored at the White House"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Following their return from the inaugural flight of Space Shuttle Columbia, STS-1 astronauts <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/young_john.pdf?emrc=1bda00\">John W. Young<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/CrippenRL\/crippenrl.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">Robert L. Crippen<\/a> received honors at the White House for their heroic mission. Young and Crippen visited NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida to thank employees there who prepared Columbia for their mission and helped unveil a new stamp to commemorate America\u2019s space achievements. Columbia returned to Kennedy, and ground crews began processing the orbiter for its next mission. Aiming for a Sept. 30, 1981 launch, the STS-2 crew of <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/EngleJH\/englejh.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">Joe H. Engle<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/NASA_HQ\/Administrators\/TrulyRH\/trulyrh.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">Richard H. Truly<\/a>, as well as ground personnel, participated in activities to prepare for the flight. Several senior management changes took place at NASA following the successful completion of the STS-1 mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/sts_1_postflight_1_sts1-1223-noid.jpg\" alt=\"sts_1_postflight_1\" width=\"243\" height=\"190\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/sts_1_postflight_2_sts1-1228-81pc-429.jpg\" alt=\"sts_1_postflight_2\" width=\"230\" height=\"190\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/sts_1_postflight_3_sts1-1231-81pc-522-one_of_oms_pods_are_removed_in_opf-5.7.81.jpg\" alt=\"sts_1_postflight_3_sts1-1231-81pc-522-one_of_oms_pods_are_removed_in_opf-5.7.81\" width=\"221\" height=\"190\"><br> <em>Left: At NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, ground crews lift space shuttle Columbia from the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft in the mate-demate device. Middle: Ground crews tow Columbia from the Shuttle Landing Facility to the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF). Right: In the OPF, workers remove Columbia\u2019s orbiter maneuvering system pods for refurbishment for the next mission, STS-2.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following Columbia\u2019s landing on April 14, 1981, at the Dryden Flight Research Center, now NASA\u2019s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, ground crews prepared it for the ferry flight back to KSC by mounting it atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), a modified Boeing-747. Columbia arrived at KSC on April 28 and ground crews began inspections of the vehicle to prepare it for its return to space on the STS-2 mission targeted for no earlier than Sep. 30, 1981.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/sts_1_postflight_4_reagan_w_young_crippen_lovelace_bush_1981.jpg\" alt=\"sts_1_postflight_4_reagan_w_young_crippen_lovelace_bush_1981\" width=\"278\" height=\"220\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/sts_1_postflight_5_young_crip_at_wh_w_reagan.jpg\" alt=\"sts_1_postflight_5_young_crip_at_wh_w_reagan\" width=\"283\" height=\"220\"><br><em>Left: In the White House, President Ronald W. Reagan, left, STS-1 Commander John W. Young, STS-1 Pilot Robert L. Crippen, NASA Administrator Alan M. Lovelace, and Vice President George H.W. Bush. Right: At the White House, Crippen, left, and Young present President Reagan with a signed photo montage to commemorate their historic mission.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On May 19, as 40 astronauts and other dignitaries looked on, President Ronald W. Reagan awarded Young and Crippen Distinguished Service Medals for successfully completing the first flight of a reusable spacecraft during a White House ceremony. Young also received a Space Medal of Honor for his five spaceflights during two decades as an astronaut. Acting NASA Administrator <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/NASA_HQ\/Administrators\/LovelaceAM\/lovelaceam.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">Alan M. Lovelace<\/a> received the presidential citizen\u2019s award, only the fourth person to receive the award since its establishment in 1969. The President described the space shuttle as \u201cthe world\u2019s first true space transportation system,\u201d saying it would affect American life in both subtle and dramatic ways, \u201cbringing energy and excitement to our national reserve.\u201d Young and Crippen in turn presented the President and Vice President George H.W. Bush with American flags they had carried on the shuttle\u2019s first flight. They also gave the President a gold spaceflight jacket with the presidential seal, prompting President Reagan to respond, \u201cYou won\u2019t mind if I only wear this in Earth\u2019s atmosphere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/sts_1_postflight_6_sts1-1238-noid-5.21.81.jpg\" alt=\"sts_1_postflight_6_sts1-1238-noid-5.21.81\" width=\"271\" height=\"210\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/sts_1_postflight_7_young_crip_w_robert_mccall_stamp_us_space_achievement_ksc_may_21_1981.jpg\" alt=\"sts_1_postflight_7_young_crip_w_robert_mccall_stamp_us_space_achievement_ksc_may_21_1981\" width=\"262\" height=\"210\"><br> <em>Left: Director of NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Richard G. \u201cDick\u201d Smith, left, welcomes STS-1 astronauts Robert L. Crippen and John W. Young to KSC. Right: During the KSC ceremony, Young, left, and Crippen, right, help unveil space artist Robert T. \u201cBob\u201d McCall\u2019s design of space achievement stamps, released by the U.S. Postal Service on May 21, 1981.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On May 21, Young and Crippen visited KSC to thank employees there for their efforts to prepare space shuttle Columbia for its historic mission and inspect the vehicle as workers prepared it for its next flight. \u201cThis is a family welcome and we\u2019re proud to have you back,\u201d KSC Director Richard G. \u201cDick\u201d Smith told Young and Crippen during the ceremony. In addition to the large crowd of NASA and contractor employees, U.S. Representative <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/news-release\/vice-president-harris-swears-in-nasa-administrator-sen-bill-nelson\/\">C. William \u201cBill\u201d Nelson<\/a>, now NASA administrator, Shuttle Projects Office Manager Robert H. \u201cBob\u201d Gray, and Launch Director George F. Page also attended the ceremony. \u201cYou really did a good job,\u201d Young told the audience. \u201cThe vehicle worked just superbly. I sure want to thank you.\u201d During the same ceremony, the U.S. Postal Service released the Space Achievement commemorative issue, a block of eight 18-cent stamps. Designed by noted space artist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/100-years-ago-birth-of-space-artist-robert-mccall\/\">Robert T. \u201cBob\u201d McCall<\/a>, the central image shared by four individual stamps depicted the space shuttle, with four additional side stamps depicting lunar exploration, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/skylab-americas-first-space-station\/\">Skylab<\/a> space station, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/45-years-ago-pioneer-11-launched-to-study-jupiter-and-saturn\/\">Pioneer 11<\/a> probe to Jupiter and Saturn, and the then-planned <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/30-years-ago-hubble-launched-to-unlock-the-secrets-of-the-universe\/\">Hubble Space Telescope<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/sts_1_postflight_8_chicago_motorcade.png\" alt=\"sts_1_postflight_8_chicago_motorcade\" width=\"293\" height=\"195\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/sts_1_postflight_9_crippen_beaumont_parade_w_mayor_maury_meyers_may_19_1981.jpg\" alt=\"sts_1_postflight_9_crippen_beaumont_parade_w_mayor_maury_meyers_may_19_1981\" width=\"245\" height=\"195\"><br> <em>Left: In Chicago, STS-1 astronauts John W. Young, left, and Robert L. Crippen riding in a motorcade with Mayor Jane M. Byrne. <strong>Credit: Image courtesy Chicago Police Department.<\/strong> Right: Crippen riding in a motorcade in his hometown of Beaumont, Texas, with Mayor Maurice \u201cMaury\u201d Meyers. <strong>Credit: Image courtesy Beaumont Enterprise.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many cities welcomed the STS-1 astronauts to help celebrate the success of their mission. The city of Chicago feted Young and Crippen with a ticker tape parade on May 6, with the astronauts riding in Mayor Jane M. Byrne\u2019s car. They addressed a crowd of well-wishers and presented Mayor Byrne with mementos from their mission. Crippen visited his hometown of Beaumont, Texas, on May 18-19, riding in a motorcade with Mayor Maurice \u201cMaury\u201d Meyers. In one of their more far-flung visits, Young and Crippen traveled to Australia to thank the workers at the Orroral Valley tracking station near Canberra for their support during their mission. During the July 1, 1981 visit, station director Lewis Wainwright provided Young and Crippen with a tour of the facility and the kitchen staff baked a special cake topped with a space shuttle for the welcome lunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/sts_1_postflight_10_young_crippen_orroral_valley_jul_1_1981_w_lewis_wainright.jpg\" alt=\"sts_1_postflight_10_young_crippen_orroral_valley_jul_1_1981_w_lewis_wainright\" width=\"283\" height=\"190\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/sts_1_postflight_11_young_crippen_orr_lunch_jul_1_1981.jpg\" alt=\"sts_1_postflight_11_young_crippen_orr_lunch_jul_1_1981\" width=\"277\" height=\"190\"><br><em>Left: During their visit to the Orroral Valley tracking station in Australia, STS-1 astronauts John W. Young, center, and Robert L. Crippen present a signed photograph of their launch to the facility\u2019s director Lewis<\/em> <em>Wainright. Right: Young and Crippen, right, during the welcome lunch \u2013 note the special cake with a space shuttle on top. <strong>Credit: Images courtesy <\/strong><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.honeysucklecreek.net\/other_stations\/orroral\/index.html\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><em>honeysucklecreek.net<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Several management changes took place at NASA following the successful completion of the STS-1 mission. On April 23, President Reagan nominated <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/NASA_HQ\/Administrators\/BeggsJM\/beggsjm.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">James M. Beggs<\/a> as NASA administrator to succeed Acting Administrator Lovelace. The U.S. Senate confirmed Beggs on June 25, and Vice President Bush swore him in on July 10. Ten days later, Beggs attended the dedication of the Teague Visitor Center and Auditorium at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston, named after Congressman Olin E. \u201cTiger\u201d Teague of Texas, a long-time supporter of the space program. Beggs told the assembled audience, \u201cKeep up the magnificent things that you\u2019ve done in the past and I assure you that we\u2019ll have success.\u201d Later that same day, July 20, the 12th anniversary of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/50-years-ago-one-small-step-one-giant-leap\/\">first Moon landing<\/a>, Beggs returned to Washington, D.C., to attend a ceremony at the White House with President Reagan and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/50-years-ago-hornet-3-the-recovery-of-apollo-11\/\">Apollo 11<\/a> astronauts <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/ArmstrongNA\/armstrongna.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">Neil A. Armstrong<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/CollinsM\/collinsm.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">Michael Collins<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/aldrin_buzz.pdf?emrc=c7020c\">Edwin E. \u201cBuzz\u201d Aldrin<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/sts_1_postflight_12_lovelace_portrait.jpg\" alt=\"sts_1_postflight_12_lovelace_portrait\" width=\"183\" height=\"225\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/sts_1_postflight_13_beggs_official_portrait_s81-37423.jpg\" alt=\"sts_1_postflight_13_beggs_official_portrait\" width=\"155\" height=\"225\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/sts_1_postflight_14_teague_auditorium_dedication_jul_20_1981_s81-35114.jpg\" alt=\"sts_1_postflight_14_teague_auditorium_dedication_jul_20_1981\" width=\"325\" height=\"226\"><br><em>Left: Official NASA portrait of Acting NASA Administrator Alan M. Lovelace. Middle: Official NASA portrait of Administrator James M. Beggs. Right: Administrator Beggs, right, at the dedication of the Olin E. Teague Auditorium at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center (JSC), along with Representative Teague\u2019s widow Freddie Dunman Teague and JSC Center Director Christopher C. Kraft.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among other management changes, <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/ThompsonRF\/thompsonrf.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">Robert F. \u201cBob\u201d Thompson<\/a> retired June 5 as manager of the Space Shuttle Program Office, a position he held since the office\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/50-years-ago-apollo-13-two-months-from-launch\/\">establishment in February 1970<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/LunneyGS\/lunneygs.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">Glynn S. Lunney<\/a> succeeded Thompson. <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/YardleyJF\/yardleyjf.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">John F. Yardley<\/a>, NASA\u2019s associate administrator for space transportation systems, left NASA effective June 1 to become president of McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Co. Yardley\u2019s deputy, L. Michael Weeks, succeeded him as acting associate administrator. Astronaut <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/BeanAL\/beanal.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">Alan L. Bean<\/a>, the fourth man to set foot on the Moon during the Apollo 12 mission in November 1969, announced he would resign from NASA effective June 26 to devote full time to his career as a painter. Bean commanded the second Skylab mission in July-September 1973, and at the time he held the American record for total time spent in space, 69 days. He noted that in his 18 years as an astronaut he had seen sights no artist had ever viewed firsthand, and he hoped to record his experiences through his art. Bean served as head of astronaut-candidate operations and training at the time of his retirement, having overseen the training of the 35 new astronaut candidates selected by NASA in January 1978.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/sts_1_postflight_15_john_f._yardley.jpg\" alt=\"sts_1_postflight_15_john_f._yardley\" width=\"187\" height=\"250\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/sts_1_postflight_16_thompsob_protrait_s80-29677.jpg\" alt=\"sts_1_postflight_16_thompsob_protrait\" width=\"177\" height=\"250\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/sts_1_postflight_17_mccall_with_bean_painting_astronaut_pin_on_jsc_mural_1979.jpg\" alt=\"sts_1_postflight_17_mccall_with_bean_painting_astronaut_pin_on_jsc_mural_1979\" width=\"275\" height=\"250\"><br> <em>Left: NASA Associate Administrator for Space Transportation Systems John F. Yardley. Middle: Manager of the Space Shuttle Program Office Robert F. \u201cBob\u201d Thompson. Right: In 1979, astronaut Alan L. Bean contributing to the mural outside the Teague Auditorium at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston, as space artist Robert T. \u201cBob\u201d McCall looks on.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With Columbia back at KSC, preparations ramped up for STS-2, the first reflight of a reusable spacecraft. In the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF), ground crews inspected the vehicle and found it to be in remarkably good shape after its first flight in space. About 1,300 tiles of the orbiter\u2019s thermal protection system required replacing. Workers installed the Spacelab pallet containing the five experiments of the Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications-1 (OSTA-1) payload, and the Canadian-built remote manipulator system (RMS) or robotic arm into Columbia\u2019s payload bay on June 29. STS-2 marked the first flight of science experiments and the first use of the RMS. In the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), the external tank (ET) for STS-2 arrived on April 22 to undergo inspection and checkout. Workers completed assembly of the twin solid rocket boosters (SRBs) on the mobile launch platform in early June and mated the ET with the SRBs on June 30. A two-day Orbiter Interface Test was completed on July 29 in preparation for the rollover of Columbia from the OPF to the VAB on August 10 for mating with the ET\/SRB stack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"sts_1_postflight_18_sts_2_et_arrival_in_vab_apr_22_1981\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/sts_1_postflight_18_sts_2_et_arrival_in_vab_apr_22_1981.jpg\" width=\"176\" height=\"220\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"sts_1_postflight_19_sts_2_srbs_stacked_on_mlp_july_1981\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/sts_1_postflight_19_sts_2_srbs_stacked_on_mlp_july_1981.jpg\" width=\"165\" height=\"220\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"sts_1_postflight_20_sts_2_osta_install_in_opf_jul_21_1981\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/sts_1_postflight_20_sts_2_osta_install_in_opf_jul_21_1981.jpg\" width=\"293\" height=\"220\"><br>\n<em>Left: The external tank for the STS-2 mission shortly after its arrival in the Vehicle<br>\nAssembly Building (VAB) at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Middle: The solid<br>\nrocket boosters stacked on the mobile launch platform inside the VAB. Right: In KSC\u2019s<br>\nOrbiter Processing Facility, the OSTA-1 payload and the Canadian-built remote<br>\nmanipulator system installed in Columbia\u2019s payload bay.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the Mission Control Center at JSC, flight controllers completed the first long-duration 33-hour simulation of the STS-2 mission on July 7-8. New Flight Directors <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/HollowayTW\/hollowaytw.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">Tommy W. Holloway<\/a> and Harold M. \u201cHal\u201d Draughan joined STS-1 veterans <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/HutchinsonNB\/hutchinsonnb.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">Neil B. Hutchinson<\/a>, Charles R. \u201cChuck\u201d Lewis, and Donald R. Puddy in heading the flight control teams. Astronaut <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/RideSK\/ridesk.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">Sally K. Ride<\/a> participated as the capsule communicator (capcom), the first woman to serve in that key position as the one person who talks directly with the crew. STS-2 astronauts Engle and Truly participated in the simulation in JSC\u2019s fixed base shuttle mission simulator. The crew also participated in other simulations and practiced using the RMS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/sts_1_postflight_21_sts_2_sim_jul_9_1981_s81-33962.jpg\" alt=\"sts_1_postflight_21_sts_2_sim_jul_9_1981\" width=\"228\" height=\"180\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/sts_1_postflight_22_sts_2_truly_rms_training_color.jpg\" alt=\"sts_1_postflight_22_sts_2_truly_rms_training_color\" width=\"223\" height=\"180\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/sts_1_postflight_23_truly_engle_rms_training_in_columbia_from_spaceport_news_jul_29_1981_oit.jpg\" alt=\"sts_1_postflight_23_truly_engle_rms_training_in_columbia_from_spaceport_news_jul_29_1981_oit\" width=\"225\" height=\"180\"><br><em>Left: Astronaut Sally K. Ride, left, serving as capsule communicator during a simulation for the STS-2 mission in the Mission Control Center at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston. Middle: STS-2 Pilot Richard H. Truly practicing using the shuttle remote manipulator system in a simulator at JSC. Right: STS-2 Pilot Truly, left, and Commander Joe H. Engle on Columbia\u2019s aft flight deck during the orbiter interface test.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>To be continued\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>World events in May 1981:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>May 1 \u2013 American Airlines begins the first frequent-flyer program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>May 1 \u2013 Tennis star Billie Jean King becomes the first professional athlete to identify as LGBTQ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>May 7 \u2013 Standup comedian Jerry Seinfeld performed for the first time to a national audience on <em>The Tonight Show<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>May 11 \u2013 Andrew Lloyd Weber\u2019s musical <em>Cats<\/em> performed for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>May 11 \u2013 Reggae artist Bob Marley dies at age 36.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>May 13 \u2013 Pope John Paul II survives an assassination attempt in The Vatican.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>May 16 \u2013 Soyuz 40, carrying Romanian cosmonaut Dumitri Prunariu and veteran Soviet cosmonaut Leonid Popov docks with the Soviet Salyut-6 space station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>May 18 \u2013 The first news article appears about Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>May 21 \u2013 Fran\u00e7ois Mitterand inaugurated as president of France.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Following their return from the inaugural flight of Space Shuttle Columbia, STS-1 astronauts John W. Young and Robert L. Crippen received honors at the White House for their heroic mission. Young and Crippen visited NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida to thank employees there who prepared Columbia for their mission and helped unveil a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":170695,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2671,2725,3099],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[12664,11995],"coauthors":[11996],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"40 Years Ago: STS-1 Astronauts Young and Crippen Honored at the White House","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/40-years-ago-sts-1-astronauts-young-and-crippen-honored-at-the-white-house\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/40-years-ago-sts-1-astronauts-young-and-crippen-honored-at-the-white-house\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/sts_1_postflight_1_sts1-1223-noid.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/sts_1_postflight_1_sts1-1223-noid.jpg"},"articleSection":"NASA History","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"John Uri"}],"creator":["John Uri"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Missions","Space Shuttle","STS-1","NASA History"],"dateCreated":"2021-05-19T20:19:00Z","datePublished":"2021-05-19T20:19:00Z","dateModified":"2023-09-11T18:06:57Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"40 Years Ago: STS-1 Astronauts Young and Crippen Honored at the White House\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/40-years-ago-sts-1-astronauts-young-and-crippen-honored-at-the-white-house\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/sts_1_postflight_1_sts1-1223-noid.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2021-05-19T20:19:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"NASA History\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Missions,Space Shuttle,STS-1,NASA History\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"John Uri\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":10,"time_ago":"3 years","featured_image":{"id":170695,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/sts_1_postflight_1_sts1-1223-noid.jpg","title":"sts_1_postflight_1_sts1-1223-noid","alt":"sts_1_postflight_1","caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168370"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/74"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=168370"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168370\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":505821,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168370\/revisions\/505821"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/170695"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=168370"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=168370"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=168370"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=168370"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=168370"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}