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STS-2

        Launch of the second Space Shuttle took place 7 months later, on
Nov. 12, 1981, with liftoff at 10:10 a.m. EST.  The planned launch
time of 7:30 a.m. was delayed while a faulty data transmitting unit
on Columbia was replaced.  Originally the launch had been set for
Oct. 9, but it was delayed by a nitrogen tetroxide spill during
loading of the forward Reaction Control System (RCS) tanks.  It was
next scheduled for Nov. 4, but was again scrubbed when high oil
pressures were discovered in two of the three Auxiliary Power Units
(APU) that control the orbiter's hydraulic system.  Prior to launch
Columbia had spent 103 days in the OPF.

        The flight marked the first time a manned space vehicle had been
reflown with a second crew:  Joseph H. Engle, commander, and Richard
H. Truly, pilot.  It again carried the DFI package, as well as the
OSTA-l payload -- named for the NASA Office of Space and Terrestrial
Applications -- which consisted of a number of remote sensing
instruments mounted on a Spacelab pallet in the payload bay.  These
instruments, including the Shuttle Imaging Radar-A (SIR-1),
successfully carried out remote sensing of Earth resources,
environmental quality, ocean and weather conditions.  In addition,
the Canadian-built Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm was
successfully operated in all its various operating modes for the
first time.

        Although the STS-2 mission had been planned for 5 days, the flight
was cut short when one of the three fuel cells that produce
electricity and drinking water failed.

        Landing took place on Runway 23, at Edwards AFB, at 1:23 p.m. PST,
Nov. 14, after a 36-orbit, 933,757-mile flight that lasted 2 days, 6
hours, 13 minutes, 13 seconds.

        Despite the truncated flight, more than 90 percent of the mission's
objectives were achieved.  Moreover, modifications of the water sound
suppression system at the pad to absorb the solid rocket booster
overpressure wave during launch were effective -- no tiles were lost
and only 12 were damaged.  The Columbia was flown back to KSC on Nov.
25, 1981.