STS-81 preflight photos taken at the Kennedy Space Center

S97-00247 (15 Dec. 1996) --- The STS-81 mission flight crew poses outside the hatch of the space shuttle Atlantis at Launch Pad 39B during a Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT). The TCDT represents a simulated final countdown rehearsal that ends just before main engine ignition. The actual launch is now scheduled for Jan. 12, 1997. Pictured (from the left) are astronauts Michael A. Baker, Marsha S. Ivins, Jerry M. Linenger, John M. Grunsfeld, Peter J.K. (Jeff) Wisoff, and Brent W. Jett Jr.