STS-61-C STS-61-C STS-61-C was the twenty-fourth mission of NASA's Space Shuttle program, and the seventh mission of Space Shuttle "Columbia". It was the first time that "Columbia", the first space-rated Space Shuttle orbiter to be constructed, had flown since STS-9. The mission launched from Florida's Kennedy Space Center on 12 January 1986, and landed six days later on 18 January. STS-61-C's seven-person crew included the second African-American shuttle pilot, future NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, the first Costa Rican-born astronaut, Franklin Chang-Diaz, and the second sitting politician to fly in space, Representative Bill Nelson (D-FL). It was the last shuttle mission before
Space Launch Liability Indemnification Extension Act Bill Nelson has a similar bill in the United States Senate that would extend the system for three years instead of one. The system was created in 1988 when Congress passed the Commercial Space Launch Act Amendments. "This summary is based largely on the summary provided by the Congressional Research Service, a public domain source." The Space Launch Liability Indemnification Extension Act would extend through December 31, 2014, the application deadline for licenses with respect to which the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) is required to pay third-party claims in excess of a commercial space launcher's required insurance coverage. The Space