The space shuttle Columbia thundered toward orbit OcL18 on a recording medical research mission featuring the first animal dis sections in space, The 2,000ton spaceship blasted off with seven astronauts and 48 rats at 10:53 a.m. EDT, piercing a mostly clear sky as it headed out over the At lentic Ocean. It was NASA’s third attempt 10 send Columbia on the 14day flight, the longest planned for a shuttle. “Guys, the third time’s a charm,” orbiter test director Bnan Monbome assured the crew before liftoff.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 5, 1993
