Students from six countries designed experiments to fly in the S*T*A*R*S program. Israel had a 'chemical garden' which grew blue and white crystals. The other five were biological experiments. Liechtenstein flew a beehive, the first space experiment ever for the tiny country. A Japanese student flew a closed life cycle biological experiment with tiny fish eggs. Chinese students flew silkworms, Australians flew spiders, and American students from Syracuse, NY flew ants. The Australian spiders flew halfway around the world for the experiment, the other animals came from the United States. The students prepared their experiments on January 12 and 13.
The STS-107 crew flew from Houston to Florida on Sunday January 12th. Because of bad weather they arrived in a Gulfstream business jet instead of their T-38 training jets.
Here's an audio and a video of their comments.
Go to the launch page
As part of post 9-11 security precautions NASA did not release the launch time until January 15th. NASA never released these launch window charts.
Columbia on its launch pad shortly before STS-107.
Dave's dog Duggins was in bad health when the crew flew to Florida and had to be put to sleep on January 14, just two days before Columbia's launch.
The Launch Readiness Review was held on January 14 and the prelaunch press conference followed the review. Michael Wetmore (l) and Israeli Space Agency head Avry Har-Even talk to the media.
The astronauts had a special party for intimate family and close friends at a beachhouse on the Kennedy Space Center. Each astronaut got to invite just five guests and each guest had to pass a medical checkup.
The astronauts gave their spouses a special tour of Columbia on the launch pad. Dave was the only unmarried member of the crew and decided to invite his Navy buddy Jeff 'Goldy' Goldfinger as his 'spouse' for the evening.
Launch Day activities
A traditional prelaunch photo at the dining table.
Dave Brown had been filming the crew's training all along and didn't even stop on launch day. As the crew entered the elevator Dave could be seen pointing his camcorder at the NASA cameramen who were videotaping him!
Crew walkout on launch day.
Ilan shows the closeout team his 'ticket' titled "Global Village Launch Pass" before entering Columbia.
Even at the launch pad Dave Brown used the camcorder to videotape crewmate Willie McCool as he entered the shuttle.
A view inside Mission Control's Flight Control Room shortly before the STS-107 launch.
Launch director Mike Leinbach gives Rick Husband and the STS-107 crew the go for launch.
S*T*A*R*S photos and press conference photo by author Philip Chien.
Beachhouse photos and launch charts from the author's collection.
Other photos by NASA.copyright 2005 Philip Chien All Rights Reserved
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