Conversation so far:
where does the space shuttle take off from
Launch Complex 39 is a rocket launch site at the John F. Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island in Florida where Space Shuttles launch.
What was the first space shuttle launch?
STS-1 was the first orbital spaceflight of NASA's Space Shuttle program.

Question: When was the launch?
Self-contained rewrite: When was the first launch of the space shuttle?