By John A. Meyers

The spectacular landing of the space shuttle Columbia at Edwards Air Force Base in California was made possible by a rare combination of teamwork and planning. Those were also essential components in TIME'S coverage of the historic mission. Last week, as the shuttle glided to a pinpoint touchdown on the dusty runway at Rogers Dry Lake, Los Angeles Bureau Chief Benjamin Cate and Correspondent Joseph Kane were on hand to record the breathtaking moment. With accommodations in short supply, the self-described "odd couple" rented a 29-ft. recreational vehicle that they parked just 100 yards from NASA's press center. Cate, who has covered ten Gemini and two Apollo space missions, was not surprised by the postponement of the shuttle liftoff. Says he: "NASA has hardly ever had an on-time launch of a new spacecraft. A glitch was sure to creep into the countdown--and it did."

The earlier stages of the mission were covered by correspondents stationed at NASA command centers in Texas and Florida. Houston Bureau Chief Robert Wurmstedt interviewed NASA Staff Physician Sharon Tilton to learn about the astronauts' physical and emotional condition in space. He soon discovered that the only way to communicate with technicians was by taking a crash course in scientific shorthand. Says Wurmstedt: "The major impression made on any reporter covering a space shot for the first time is the apparent inability of scientists to explain anything in laymen's terms. Even the letter F can be a mystery. At NASA it stands for Fahrenheit, failure, female, forward and front." Washington Correspondent Jerry Hannifin was at the Kennedy Space Center to witness the shuttle's pyrotechnic liftoff a week ago Sunday. Hannifin, who covered the Gemini space program during the 1960s, was reminded once again of the high drama that always attends rocket launchings. Says he: "We are heading into space with all the capabilities to make it a living and working environment."

As events turned out, the Sunday launch presented TIME'S staff with the most dramatic pictorial countdown the magazine has ever faced. Less than 24 hours after Columbia's blastoff, most copies of TIME featured an exclusive picture of the launch, the fastest color coverage in the magazine's history.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.