28 November 1983: Spacelab 1—The Space Shuttle Columbia OV-102 lifted off from Florida's K.S.C. with CDR John Young, Pilot Brewster Shaw, M.S.1 Owen Garriott, M.S.2 Robert Parker, Payload Specialist 1* Ulf Merbold (European Space Agency), & P.S.2 Byron Lichtenberg, the largest crew yet; this was the first Shuttle flight of a non-U.S. citizen & of the E.S.A.'s Spacelab laboratory module.
*Merbold (West German) & Lichtenberg (American) were the first Payload Specialists to fly. The difference between Mission Specialists & Payload Specialists is that M.S. were professional astronauts, trained as members of the Astronaut Corps & then assigned to missions, whereas P.S. were non-N.A.S.A. astronauts or other experts (commerical or academic researchers, later Congressmen & teachers) chosen for specific missions & then given astronaut training.
Bonus! Space Age Song o' the Day: S.T.S.-9
Goldfinger, "99 Red Balloons" from Stomping Ground (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)
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