Orbiter: Columbia
Shuttle Mission: STS-109
Date: March 1, 2002

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -– In the final moments before launch, Shuttle Columbia's main engines and elevons are rotated. As the clock reaches zero, Shuttle Columbia emblazons the pre-dawn clouds as it soars into the sky on its 27th flight into space on mission STS-109. Liftoff occurred at 6:22:02.08 a.m. EST(11:22:02:08 GMT). The goal of the mission is the maintenance and upgrade of the Hubble Space Telescope, to be carried out in five spacewalks.

STS-109 photos are online. (Note: This is a graphic-intensive site and may be difficult to view with low speed modems or when this web site receives heavy traffic loads).

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