Space Shuttle Columbia launches on April 12, 1981 on STS-1 the inaugural flight of the space shuttle. (NASA image) The first space shuttle launch happened in 1981 on the 20th anniversary of when Yuri Gargarin became the first man in space, but the launch date was not by design.
A technical delay scrubbed the first STS-1 launch attempt, moving it to April 12.Scrubs due to weather and technical delays are part of launching any rocket -- especially a new vehicle.
NASA is experiencing the same struggles now as it works to conduct a test flight of the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft, known as the Artemis I mission.
However, this time the goal is far beyond low-Earth orbit. The objective of the Artemis program is to establish a sustainable presence on the moon.