doohan, space shuttle from a mission to the future was produced shortly before the first launch on april 12, 1981. the film describes the program by showing a simulated flight of columbia, and emphasizes the global effort in construction and use of the international space station. ♪ narrator: a new door to space opens, the space shuttle. everything that has gone before in space, this magnificent treasure, is prologue. we are beginning a new and exciting age, signaled by the flight of columbia into earth's orbit. ♪ columbia is the first of a fleet of ships of the space transportation system. the others to follow, names which evoke the spirit of our progress. challenger, discovery, atlantis. >> the monitors are set up. narrator: the working environment aboard will be quite ordinary. yet, the meaning of all this to us is far from ordinary. >> i am going to head downstairs. ♪ narrator: space shuttle, taking as many as four satellites into orbit, has the capability of retrieving orbiting satellites, repairing them in space or bringing them back to earth. >> columbia, we have good alignm
