STS-107 Mission To Include Goddard Involvement

The launch of Space Shuttle Columbia for the STS-107 mission is scheduled for Jan. 16 from Kennedy Space Center. Originally scheduled for launch July of last year, Columbia/OV-102 was bumped out of rotation when shuttle launches were grounded for fuel system inspections.

Columbia's 16-day mission is dedicated to a mixed complement of competitively selected and commercially sponsored research in the space, life and physical sciences. An international crew of seven, including the first Israeli astronaut, will work 24 hours a day in two alternating shifts to carry out experiments in the areas of astronaut health and safety; advanced technology development; and Earth and space science.

Layout of FREESTAR bridge

Members of the Goddard community will be directly involved with this mission managing NASA's Shuttle Small Payloads Project (SSPP). The Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research (FREESTAR) payload will include six separate experiments mounted on a crossbay Hitchhiker Multipurpose Equipment Support Structure. The six experiments will include the Mediterranean Israeli Dust Experiment (MEIDEX) managed by the Israeli Space Agency and Tel-Aviv University.

Crew of STS-107, left: Payload Commander Michael Anderson, Commander Rick Husband, Mission Specialist Laurel Clark, Pilot William "Willie" McCool, and Mission Specialists Ilan Ramon, Kalpana Chawla and David Brown.

Astronaut Rich Husband will command STS-107 and William "Willie" McCool will serve as pilot. Astronauts Kalpana Chawla, Michael Anderson, David Brown and Laurel Clark are Mission Specialist. Ilan Ramon is a Payload Specialist.

NASA-TV will televise the launch. The launch window will be announced approximately 24 hours prior to launch.

For more on the Shuttle Small Payloads projects, visit: http://sspp.gsfc.nasa.gov/

For more on the STS-107 mission, visit: http://spaceflight.
nasa.gov/shuttle/