alb@alice.UUCP (06/18/83)
At 0013 EDT this (ugh) morning, NASA crews began filling the Challenger's external tank in preparation for launch at 0733 EDT. Weather conditions at Dakar, Senegal, the primary abort site if an emergency arises during the crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, were cloudy this afternoon, but NASA said they expected them to be OK. A final decision could be made up to 9 minutes before the launch.