This mission carried into orbit the International Microgravity Laboratory-1 Spacelab module, in which an international team conducted studies on the effects of weightlessness on living organisms and materials processing. Other payloads included 10 Getaway Special cannisters, a number of mid-deck payloads and two Shuttle Student Involvement Program experiments.!
Left to right: Pilot Stephen Oswald, DOB: 6/30/51, Bkgrnd: Naval test pilot. Education: B.S. in aerospace engineering.
Payload Specialist Roberta Bondar, Born: 1946, Bkgrnd: Canadian Space Agency researcher. Education: Ph.D. in neurobiology; doctorate of medicine.
Mission Specialist Norman Thagard, DOB: 7/3/43, Bkgrnd: U.S.M.C. pilot. Flew on STS-7, -30 and 51-B. Education: M.S. in engr. science; doctorate of medicine.
Commander Ronald Grabe, DOB: 6/13/45, Bkgrnd: Col., USAF. Piloted 51-J and STS-30. Education: B.S. in engineering science.
Mission Specialist David Hilmers, DOB: 1/28/50, Bkgrnd: Col., USMC. Flew on 51-J, STS-26 and STS-36. Education: M.S. in electrical engineering.
Payload Specialist Ulf Merbold, DOB: 6/20/41, Bkgrnd: European Space Agency. Flew on STS-9. Education: Ph.D. in science.
Mission Specialist William Readdy, DOB: 1/24/52, Bkgrnd: Aerospace engineer. NASA pilot. Education: B.S. in aeronautical engineering.!
22 January 1991 9:52 a.m. EST
Launch delayed one hour due to weather constraints.!
