WIKIARCHIVES.SPACE

After clearing the high bay door of the Vehicle Assembly Building, the Space Shuttle Atlantis slowly moves out to Launch Pad 39B along the Crawlerway. Atlantis is scheduled to lift off on STS-81, the first Shuttle mission of 1997, on Jan. 12. The planned nine-day flight will be the fifth Shuttle-Mir docking. The six-member crew at liftoff will include Mission Specialist J.M. Linenger, who will transfer to the Russian Mir Space Station for an extended stay, replacing astronaut John E. Blaha, who will return to Earth on Atlantis.