Final answer:
Object permanence is the concept that best explains Tina's difficulty in recognizing the space shuttle in flight.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept that best explains Tina's difficulty in recognizing the space shuttle in flight after only seeing a picture of it ready to launch is object permanence. Object permanence refers to the understanding that even if something is out of sight, it still exists. According to Piaget's stages of cognitive development, young children develop object permanence around 5 to 8 months old.