DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: "CNN 20" today, the maiden voyage for the space shuttle program.</s>MISSION CONTROL: T-minus 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 -- we've gone to a main engine start. We have main engine start. Liftoff of America's first space shuttle, and the shuttle has cleared the tower.</s>MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT: The Columbia, the first space shuttle mission, launched on the 20th anniversary of the first manned space flight. And what's amazing, when you look at that incredibly complex flying machine that was sitting on that launch pad at the Cape and compare it to the earliest spacecraft, it's amazing how far the whole thing came in 20 years' time. It is the most complex flying machine ever. It was the first time that a spacecraft designed to carry people into orbit flew its first flight with people in it. There were pilots onboard, John Young, Bob Crippen were strapped in to that space shuttle.</s>UNIDENTIFIED ASTRONAUT: The vehicle has just been performing -- performing beautifully, much better than anyone ever expected to do on a first flight.</s>O'BRIEN: Well, it was an unproven system, so yes, there was an awful lot of concern about it, but the mission itself, by and large, was a success.</s>UNIDENTIFIED ASTRONAUT: I think we have something that is really going to mean something to the country and the world.
CNN 20: Columbia Blasts Off, April 12, 1981