The Nation - News from Jan. 6, 1986
The weather cleared and the refitted shuttle Columbia was given a “go” for a pre-dawn blastoff from the Kennedy Space Center on its second attempt in 19 days to carry a congressman and a revolutionary television satellite into orbit. Project officials said that the countdown was trouble-free and everything was set for takeoff at 4:05 a.m. PST on a five-day flight, the first of a record 15 shuttle launchings now planned for 1986 and the first of two scheduled for January. The mission is to end Saturday with a landing back at the Florida space center.
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