sjb (06/23/82)
Today's activitied on the pad include the loading on liquids oxygen and hydrogen into the fuel cells. That takes several hours. Meanwhile, as the Soviet Union progresses on its own countdown, they attacked the shuttle once more as a military adventure into space, accusing the Pentagon of spreading the arms race by taking military satellites into orbit. Astronauts Ken Mattingly and Henry Hartsfield are spending their time in simulators, getting used to the flight. In flight, they will not only care for the ship but also for experiments on board. Aside from the DoD's package, Johnson and Johnson have an experiment testing the separation of compounds in zero-g. Also, Utah State University students have an experiment on board that tests the growth of plant roots and the mixing of compounds in zero-g.