STS-107 Countdown Begins

The STS-107 launch countdown began Sunday night at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Space Shuttle Columbia is scheduled to begin the 16-day scientific mission with a liftoff between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. CST (1500 and 1900 GMT) Thursday. Also, the seven-member STS-107 flight crew arrived at KSC Sunday nightSpace Shuttle Columbia’s flight on Thursday, Jan 16 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., is the first strictly science research mission since STS-99 in February 2000. Astronauts will use the low-gravity environment of low-Earth orbit to conduct a host of biological, chemical, physical and Earth and space science experiments in 12 hour shifts around the clock. Many of the experiments will focus on the functioning of basic body systems during spaceflight. Viruses, bacteria, spiders, and even the astronauts themselves will serve as test subjects