Military/aerospace systems: NASA shuttle successes mark a year of transition; meanwhile, military programs are revitalized

It was the climax of the most sophisticated research-and-development effort ever undertaken in aerospace technology: the launching and landing of the U.S. Space Shuttle Columbia. Twice in 1981 the missions proved not only that the shuttle was flightworthy, but also that it was reusable. It was the beginning, some said, of a new era of near-earth space applications. At the same time another era — that of U.S. exploration of the planets — saw one of the last in a long line of spectacular successes.