Expensive, So-Cool Zero Gravity Lab Makes Perfect Shot

Under HEAVY security, STS-107 got under way Thursday when Space Shuttle Columbia launched from Kennedy Space Center (FL), at 9:39 a.m. CST (1539 GMT). The seven-member crew is slated to spend 16 days in space conducting research during around-the-clock operations. More than 80 experiments are flying aboard Columbia. Research areas include Earth and space sciences, advanced technology development, and astronaut health and safety.

Now that they are in space, the seven crewmembers are preparing for on-orbit operations and activating experiments. The crew was slated to activate the SPACEHAB Research Double Module at 12:09 p.m. CST (1809 GMT) the same day.

The Blue Team -- Pilot William McCool, Mission Specialists David Brown and Payload Commander Michael Anderson -- were slated to go to sleep at 1:39 p.m. CST (1939 GMT) Thursday. The Red Team -- Commander Rick Husband, Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon and Mission Specialists Laurel Clark and Kalpana Chawla -- continued to activate experiments.

Columbia, with the first Israeli in space, is scheduled to return to Earth on February 1, exactly one month before the next scheduled Shuttle launch -- STS 114 -- which will host the first Japanese astronaut.

FMI: www.spaceflight.nasa.gov