Problems Solved, Shuttle Liftoff Is Set
With some last-minute problems resolved, the space shuttle Columbia was poised for blastoff on a 16-day science mission today.
NASA officials said Columbia, the oldest of the four shuttles, was set to lift off its seaside launch pad at 2 p.m. EST.
The mission had been delayed by 24 hours to fit some missing thermal insulation to the shuttle’s cooling system. The launch team also dealt with two other minor technical glitches.
During the mission, seven astronauts will work around the clock in two shifts inside a European-built laboratory housed in Columbia’s cargo bay.
The crew’s research program features studies into the behavior of fire in zero gravity and the development of new materials.
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