Space Shuttle Columbia Launches Succesfully
News story originally written on April 4, 1997
Space Shuttle Columbia lifted off today at 2:20 p.m. EST on a
16-day mission. Launch was delayed for a day due to concerns about a fuel
cell that was reading higher than normal voltages. After scientists
determined the fuel cell to be working properly, the countdown began.
The shuttle will orbit the Earth for two weeks at a height of 170 miles.
The mission consists of a microgravity lab which will study the behavior
of metals and other materials in the absence of gravity. The crew will
also study how no gravity affects combustion.
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