 From Launch Complex 39 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, this is shuttle launch control at T-minus three hours, 39 minutes, 49 seconds and counting. We are now in the final six hours of the countdown for the launch of Space Shuttle Columbia on mission STS-83. The countdown is being controlled from firing room one at the launch control center, and we are on schedule for a lift off at exactly 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time this afternoon. This is the 22nd flight for Space Shuttle Columbia and the 83rd mission of the Space Shuttle program since launches began in April 1981, 16 years ago. The primary objective of the STS-83 mission will be to conduct over two weeks of experiments inside the microgravity science laboratory space lab module, which will include experiments in protein crystal growth, materials processing, combustion experiments, and plant growth experiments. The mission duration for STS-83 is planned as 15 days, 16 hours, 36 minutes, and Columbia will be in a 184 statute mile high orbit. The landing is planned to occur at the Kennedy Space Center on the morning of April 19th at about 7.40 a.m., assuming an on-time launch today. All seven crew members and the traditional cake with the emblem for STS-83. Down on the far end is payload specialist Greg Lynn Tires, and next to him is mission specialist number three, Don Thomas. Our pilot for STS-83, Susan Still, the commander, Jim Holtzell, Mike Gernhardt, mission specialist number two and our flight engineer, Janice Foss, mission specialist number one and the payload commander, and next to her is Roger Crouch, payload specialist number one. We're about to receive video from the astronaut quarters of the STS-83 crew suiting up. Commander Jim Holtzell, here's our pilot Susan Still, second female pilot to fly the space shuttle. Janice Foss, our payload commander on this mission. Roger Crouch will be responsible for much of the science operations onboard the microgravity space lab. Mike Gernhardt, mission specialist number two and also our flight engineer for STS-83. Don Thomas, mission specialist, Greg Lynn Tires. Sunlight shining brightly into firing room one here at the launch control center at KSC, where all the members of the launch team have been on station most of them since fueling began at a little after six this morning. And here we see pad 39A at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. This is shuttle launch control at T minus two hours, 37 minutes, 30 seconds in counting. The astronauts have arrived at the 195 foot level of the fixed service structure where the orbiter access arm is located. This is shuttle launch control at T minus two hours, 34 minutes in counting. We see Commander Jim Holtzell being assisted with his equipment for entry into space shuttle Columbia. This arm is gone at this time. That's a PS2. PS2, I counted. We'll call it 16, 14, 15. Pilot Susan Still now being assisted with her equipment. She'll be in the right seat of Columbia. Mission specialist number two, Don Thomas, is next aboard. 212. Go ahead. Step five, five, five, by a med, will be a not performed. Copy, sir. NTD, DLT, contact. DLT, NTD, clear, good morning, Susan. Mission specialist Janice Voss now being assisted with her flight suit. She's MS number one and will be the payload commander on this flight. Payload specialist Roger Crouch now preparing to enter Columbia. Mission specialist Mike Gernhardt now being assisted to prepare for his entry into Columbia. MS three, this is OTC, I'll have you loud and clear. Loud and clear also, thanks, Jim. Payload the ghost. Copy that, engineering director. I did that. Safety and mission assurance. That's an emergency ghost. Copy that, Lane's leather. Launch check, we have no constraints to launch, over. Copy that, and ops manager. Jim, the NMT has no other issues you're clear to launch. Copy. And Columbia will be picking up momentarily. You guys have a great mission and we'll see you back here in about two weeks. NTD, you're clear to launch. And now we'll be checking the flight controls on the orbiter, the aerosurface profile test. Vehicle will go to internal power in about 10 seconds. Coming up on T-minus three minutes 23 seconds, we're now gimbling the three main engines. Checking their steering capability. Mission and one, NMT clear, non-expected air. And copy flight two. It will go to close and lock divisors. Initiate O2 flow. And enjoy your on-orbit spring break. Roger that, sir. We'd like to say thanks to everybody who has got Columbia and asked me to fly. Eight, seven. Ignition sequence start. Five, four, three, two, one. And liftoff of Space Shuttle Columbia with the microgravity science laboratory. Our research bridge to the space benefits of tomorrow. Roger that, sir. Roger roll, Columbia. Houston's now controlling. Columbia is rolling on course toward a 160 nautical mile high. Orbiting climbed to 28.5 degrees to our sea equator. Columbia already traveling 300 miles per hour. We're at the spacecraft capacity area of maximum air pressure and go supersonic. Altitude now two and a half miles, one and a half miles east of the launch pad. Columbia is traveling 650 miles per hour. Columbia, go with throttle up. Copy, go with throttle up. Columbia's three main engines now back at full throttle. All systems on board in good shape. Columbia's speed now 1,500 miles per hour. Altitude 12 miles. 55 seconds since liftoff. Flight controller is standing by in the next few seconds. Four burnout in Jettison at the twin solid rockets. Booster officer confirms good separation of the solid rockets. Columbia, performance is nominal. Copy, performance nominal. This is mission control. Houston, this view shows the inside of the space lab module, the microgravity science laboratory one. And go ahead for space lab. We're doing the activation of the cameras for ingress and it looks to me like... And that's affirmative. We have a great view of space lab. Great, thanks. We've got it all set up for your entry, Janice. I'll be there a little bit. I'll be there for space lab. I'm ready to start. Is that Julia that you have some deltas for me? Yes, Janice. We had one delta. And that concerned the fact that there's a circuit breaker that needs to be turned on on rack four. That's R4W. That's EPSP number four. And the circuit breaker is DC1. And we need it to be turned on in order to power up VCRs three and four later on.