Posted: Thu, Jan 16, 2003, 11:51 AM ET (1651 GMT)
The space shuttle Columbia launched on schedule Thursday morning to begin a 16-day dedicated science mission. Columbia lifted off from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center on schedule at 10:39 am EST (1539 GMT), at the beginning of a 2.5-hour launch window. The shuttle reached orbit eight and a half minutes later without incident. The countdown proceeded smoothly, with no technical problems or weather concerns reported. The seven-person crew, including the first Israeli astronaut, Ilan Ramon, will spend the next 16 days conducting a suite of experiments using the Spacehab module in the shuttle’s cargo bay.

Related Links:

•  SPACE.com article
•  AP article
•  Spaceflight Now mission status center