First Space Shuttle launch

[Jim Eshelman]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS-1
April 12, 1981, 12:00:03 UT, Cape Canaveral, FL [charts for Washington]
Landed April 14, 1981, 18:20:57 UT, Edwards AFB

Columbia was first launched on the 20th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's flight.

Year: Capsolar {+2}
Sun on MC 0°45'
Pluto sq. MC 0°13'
Mars sq. Asc 0°37'
Moon more widely foreground
-- Moon-Mars sq. 0°04'
-- Sun-Pluto sq. 0°10'
-- Moon-Pluto op. 1°15'

Bridge {+1}
t Pluto sq. s MC 1°07'

Month: Caplunar (Dormant.) Moon-Pluto.

Week: Canlunar {+1}
Moon on Asc 1°49'
Sun, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn widely foreground
-- Mercury-Saturn op. 0°25' in mundo
-- Sun-Pluto cop. 1°18'
-- Sun-Mars conj. 1°45' in mundo
-- Jupiter-Saturn conj. 1°49'
-- Moon-Sun sq. 2°47'
-- Mercury-Jupiter op. 2°19'
-- Non-angular Venus conj. Sun 1°06', Mars 3°06'
-- Non-foreground Pluto op. Sun 0°12', Mars 3°18'
Moon-Pluto sq. 1°28'
Moon-Venus sq. 1°40'

Day: Capsolar Quotidian & Transits {+2}
p MC conj. t Venus 0°45', op. t Pluto 1°35', op. Pluto 0°15', sq. s Sun 0°05'
-- t Venus sq. s Sun 0°40', op. s Pluto 0°30'
-- t Venus-Pluto op. 0°50'
p Asc conj. t Moon 1°06'
---------------------------------------
t Pluto sq. s MC 1°07'
t Sun sq. s MC 1°36'
t Venus sq. s MC 0°17'

Day: Cansolar Quotidian & Transits {0}
p EP conj. p Moon 0°52'
(Transiting Jupiter 2°18' past Cansolar MC is too far.)

[Jim Eshelman]

This on is noticeably better than the Skylab example, and almost in the league of the flights and breakthroughs leading up to and including the Moon landing. I think with the shuttle there was a new sense of discovering something new and invading new territory. The Capsolar is fitting (and absorbed many other events in that punchy symbolism). The Week chart is probably better than a +1, the CapQ probably better than a +2, but not enough to give them the next higher number. Not bad, overall.