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if all goes according to plan, "columbia" will soar like a skylark next month. >> if the shuttle program works the way it's designed to work it will be a technological feat rivaling america's visit to the moon. a major moment in the history of flight. >> the space shuttle had new systems, new technology, primary things. you don't have pulleys and cables, it's all done by electronics. all the commands go through a computer. >> it was built as the world's first reusable spaceship. one that would commute to space, carrying scientists and satellites. >> the most important thing was the digital revolution, faster, more powerful computers with complex software. >> computers are absolutely necessary to fly a spacecraft like the shuttle. it's the most sophisticated, most complex system that has been put into space yet. >> first time i saw "columbia" and got close to it, my whole thought was oh, my god, it's