LAUNCH – STS-7 – KSC

S83-35620 (18 June 1983) --- The space shuttle Challenger, its two solid rocket boosters and an external fuel tank carry the five-member STS-7 astronaut crew toward a six-day mission in Earth orbit. This high-angle view of the liftoff, a lengthy stretch of Florida Atlantic coastline and a number of large cumulus clouds was photographed with a handheld 70mm camera by astronaut John W. Young. Young usually pilots the Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA) for weather monitoring at launch and landing sites for STS missions. The Challenger?s second launch occurred at 7:33 a.m. (EDT) on 18 June 1983. Photo credit: NASA