Launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-61

STS061-S-089 (2 Dec 1993) --- The Space Shuttle Endeavour lifts off from Launch Pad 39B with a crew of six NASA astronauts, a Swiss mission specialist and a variety of special tools aboard. Launch occurred at 4:27:00 a.m. (EST), December 2, 1993. The seven member crew will team to perform a variety of service tasks on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Four of the group will break into pairs on alternating sessions to carry out a total of five days Extravehicular Activity (EVA). Onboard are astronauts Richard O. Covey, Kenneth D. Bowersox, F. Story Musgrave, Kathy C. Thornton, Jeffrey A. Hoffman and Thomas D. Akers, along with Swiss scientist Claude Nicollier.