Final answer:
NASA's first successful story of the 1980s was the launch of the Space Shuttle program, with Columbia's first mission, STS-1, on April 12, 1981.
Step-by-step explanation:
NASA's First Success Story in the 1980s
After the challenging early days of the space race, NASA was in fierce competition with the Soviet Union to achieve milestones in space exploration. Although NASA was founded in 1958, its first major breakthrough came with the successful orbit of Explorer I in January 1958, which was the United States' answer to the Soviets' launch of Sputnik. However, moving into the 1980s, NASA's most iconic success and a substantial victory for the U.S during this decade was the launch of the Space Shuttle program. The first launch of the Space Shuttle occurred on April 12, 1981, with the mission STS-1, where the shuttle Columbia successfully completed its journey into space and back. This was a significant step towards routine access to space, and the shuttle program would continue to be a symbol of NASA's achievements for the next 30 years.