Payloads on this mission included a Materials Science Laboratory, Infrared Imaging Equipment, Initial Blood Storage Experiment, Handheld Protein Crystal Growth experiment, and three Shuttle Student Involvement Program experiments. Another experiment to photograph Comet Halley was aborted due to a problem with batteries of the 35mm camera. !
Lower right corner: Commander Robert Gibson, DOB: 10/30/46, Background: Pilot of 41-B. Commander on STS-27 and STS-47. Education: B.S. in aeronautics.
Counter clockwise from upper right: Pilot Charles Bolden, DOB: 8/19/46, Background: Pilot of STS-31. Commander of STS-45. Education: M.S. in systems management.
Payload Specialist William Nelson, Background:
Congressman and Chairman of the Space Science and Applications Subcommittee.
Payload Specialist Robert Cenker, Background: Senior RCA engineer. Education: M.S. degrees in aerospace engineering and electrical engineering.
Mission Specialist Steven Hawley, DOB:12/12/51, Background: Flew on 41-D and STS- 31. Education: Ph.D. in astronomy and astrophysics.
Mission Specialist Franklin Chang-Diaz, DOB: 4/5/50, Background: Flew on STS-34 and STS-46. Education: Ph.D. in applied physics.
Mission Specialist George D. (Pinky) Nelson, DOB: 7/13/50, Background: Flew on 41-C and STS-26. Education: Ph.D. in astronomy.!
12 January 1986 6:55 a.m. EST
Launch was dramatically scrubbed as late as T-9 seconds, for a total of six different dates beginning 18 December. Each scrub was due to either mechanical problems or weather conditions. The final launch countdown proceeded without problem.!
18 January 1986 5:58 a.m. PST
at Edwards AFB, CA
Mission Duration: 6 days, 2 hours, 3 minutes, 51 seconds. Completed 97 orbits. Landing was originally rescheduled at KSC, but was moved up two times and then rescheduled for landing at Edwards because of persisting bad weather.!
