Shuttle Mission: STS-107
Orbiter: Columbia
Date: January 16, 2003

Did You Know?

On June 21, 1993, the launch of Shuttle Endeavour on STS-57 marked the beginning of the first SPACEHAB flight. A commercially-developed pressurized laboratory, SPACEHAB more than doubled the pressurized workspace for crew-tended experiments on orbit. Altogether, 22 experiments were flown during STS-57, including studies in materials and life sciences as well as a wastewater recycling experiment for the future space station.

NASA Test Director Jeff Spaulding requests members of his team to verify that the proper software has been loaded for the remainder of the countdown.

Pre-flight Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) alignment is completed and verified.

The Landing and Recovery Director verifies that the Shuttle landing site is ready and configured for launch and that the booster recovery ships are on station.

SRB Recovery Ship, the Liberty Star

At launch time, the International Space Station will be at 49.6 degrees north latitude and 177.5 degrees west longitude; that puts the ISS and Expedition Six Crew over the north Pacific, south of the Aleutian Islands.