LANDING – STS-3 – NORTHRUP STRIP, NM

S82-28839 (30 March 1982) --- Seconds from touchdown, the space shuttle Columbia (STS-3), with astronauts Jack R. Lousma and C. Gordon Fullerton aboard, comes into view of a large crowd on hand to greet it at the Northrup strip on White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The successful eight-day mission was the first to end on New Mexico soil. Two T-38 chase planes can be seen in the photograph, while a third (out of view) was carrying the photographer that took this frame with a hand-held camera. Photo credit: NASA