
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - In the firing room, NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe (right) congratulates the launch team after the successful on-time launch of Space Shuttle Columbia. Standing next to O'Keefe is Launch Director Mike Leinbach. Liftoff occurred at 6:22:02:08 a.m. EST (11:22:02:08 GMT). Columbia is on its 27th flight and the 108th flight of the Shuttle Program. The goal of the mission is the maintenance and upgrade of the Hubble Space Telescope, to be carried out in five spacewalks. The crew of STS-109 comprises Commander Scott D. Altman, Pilot Duane G. Carey, Payload Commander John M. Grunsfeld, and Mission Specialists Nancy Jane Currie, Richard M. Linnehan, James H. Newman and Michael J. Massimino. After an 11-day mission, Columbia is expected to return to Kennedy March 12 about 4:35 a.m. EST (09:35 GMT)
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NASA ID
KSC-02pd0222
Date Created
March 1, 2002
Center
KSC
Media Type
image
Location
Kennedy Space Center, FL
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