NASA HISTORY: Space Shuttle Columbia Launched From Cape Canaveral In 1995
By NASA // October 20, 2016
October 20, 1995
ABOVE VIDEO: Space Shuttle Columbia flight 72 (STS-73), narrated by the astronauts.
(NASA) – Today in 1995, after a series of delays, Space Shuttle Columbia launched on mission STS-73 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
It was originally scheduled to launch on September 25, but that launch was scrubbed. It was then rescheduled for October 5, but that launch was scrubbed as well.
In fact, STS-73’s launch was scrubbed on the launch pad six times. Only one other mission scrubbed as many times – STS-61C, also on Shuttle Columbia, in 1986.
Both missions launched successfully on the seventh attempt.
A number of issues delayed liftoff—faulty valves, electrical problems, and even bad weather.
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These are just a handful of the reasons why a launch can be delayed, but addressing them is necessary to ensure the safety of the astronauts on board.
While many people were frustrated by such delays, astronaut Dom Gorie noted that there was at least one upside to a launch scrub after weeks of intense preparation for launch: “When you get a launch delay in the last week, the crew really gets an opportunity to relax.”
