 A powerful electrical storm created an eerie tapestry of light in the skies near Space Shuttle Launch Complex 39A in the hours preceding the launch of Challenger on mission STS-8 at 2:32 a.m. EDT on Aug 30, 1983. |
 The giant cluster of spaceflight hardware for NASA′s STS-8 mission begins its slow move to the launch pad at launch complex 39. Following its mating to the two solid rocket boosters (SRB) and the external fuel tank (ET) in the huge vehicle assembly building (VAB), the space shuttle Challenger is slowly moved to the launch pad atop the mobile launch platform on 1 Aug. 1983 |