| abstract | - STS-2 was the second Space Shuttle mission conducted by NASA, and the second flight of the orbiter Columbia. The mission launched on 12 November 1981 and landed two days later on 14 November. STS-2 marked the first time in history that a manned, reusable orbital vehicle returned to space for a second time. In the early planning stages of the Space Shuttle program, STS-2 was intended to be a reboost mission for the aging Skylab space station. However, such a mission was impeded by delays with the shuttle's development and the deteriorating orbit of Skylab. Skylab ultimately de-orbited on 11 July 1979, two years before the launch of STS-2.
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