The spaceshuttle Columbia was orbiting the earth in a low earth orbit. Because its mission was not to the International Space Station (Columbia never went to the ISS on a docking mission) it was lower than most, which would have excluded a rescue scenario involving the ISS. Columbia did not have sufficient fuel to boost to the height of the ISS.
Columbia was a Space Shuttle. Space Shuttles travel to an orbit around the Earth and return.
Columbia
Columbia was the first shuttle in to orbit on April 13, 1981
On April 12, 1981 the space shuttle Columbia was the first shuttle to orbit the Earth.
April 12 1981. The shuttle Columbia.
The second Shuttle into orbit was the Challenger in April, 1993; the first was Columbia in April, 1981.Ironically, both were destroyed in flight: Challenger on Takeoff in 1986, Columbia on landing in 2003.
There were 5. Space Shuttle Columbia (destroyed in 2003), Space Shuttle Challenger (destroyed in 1886), Space Shuttle Discovery, Space Shuttle Atlantis, and Space Shuttle Endeavour.
On April 12th, 1981, Space Shuttle Columbia soared into orbit, the first space shuttle launched. On it were Astronaut John Young and Test Pilot Bob Crippen.
The Columbia it was launched by NASA on April 12, 1981. It became the first shuttle to orbit (circle around) Earth.
Columbia was the first shuttle to enter orbit. This was the same shuttle that was destroyed during re-entry in January 2003, with the loss of seven astronauts.
The purpose of the Columbia space shuttle was to go into space
Columbia completed the first shuttle mission to orbit and back successfully and landed on April 14, 1981