STS-1_Space_Shuttle_Columbia_discarded_external_tank.jpg


Summary

Description
English: Separation of space shuttle Columbia's external tank, photographed by motion picture cameras in the umbilical bays, occurred following the shutdown of the vehicle's three main engines. The Columbia's cameras were able to record the underside of the tank as the orbiter headed toward its Earth-orbital mission with astronauts John W. Young and Robert L. Crippen aboard, and the fuel tank fell toward Earth, passing through the atmosphere rapidly.
Date
Source http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/
Author NASA
This image or video was catalogued by Johnson Space Center of the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under Photo ID: S81-30509 .

This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing .
Other languages:

Licensing

Public domain This file is in the public domain in the United States because it was solely created by NASA . NASA copyright policy states that "NASA material is not protected by copyright unless noted ". (See Template:PD-USGov , NASA copyright policy page or JPL Image Use Policy .)
Warnings:

Captions

The external tank of the Space Shuttle dropping away, as captured by Columbia’s umbilical well camera, during mission STS-1 April 12, 1981

Items portrayed in this file

depicts

12 April 1981