From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!npoiv!alice!sjb Newsgroups: net.columbia Title: Challenher Launch Date Still Hanging Article-I.D.: alice.1363 Posted: Tue Jan 4 07:35:05 1983 Received: Wed Jan 5 00:57:32 1983 The date of the Challenger's first launch is still hanging in the air, though officials are still aiming for 27 January. It all depends on when technicians find and correct a problem that allowed hydrogen to leak into the Challenger's main engine compartments on a test firing on 18 December. NASA says they expect that process to take about a week. Meanwhile, workers prepared a 5000 pound communications satellite to be carried into orbit by the Challenger. After being ejected, it will be carried into geosynchronous orbit to become a part of NASA's new communications system (for the shuttle and other satellites).