WIKIARCHIVES.SPACE

The Space Shuttle Atlantis rolls out to Launch Pad 39B on the Crawlerway in preparation for STS-81, the first Shuttle mission of 1997. The target launch date is 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.