A new dawn for space station as Atlantis nears final frontier
Source: Agencies |
May 16, 2010, Sunday
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THE space shuttle Atlantis and six veteran astronauts blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center on Friday to deliver a Russian module and spare parts to the International Space Station.
The launch was the last scheduled for Atlantis, and the third-to-last for the shuttle program. NASA is retiring the shuttle fleet, which began flying in 1981, due to cost and safety issues.
Atlantis is headed toward an orbital rendezvous with the space station 350 kilometers above Earth. Docking is scheduled for today.
"We wish you good luck, God speed and have a little fun up there," NASA Launch Director Mike Leinbach told Atlantis Commander Ken Ham.
"If you don't mind, we will take her out of the barn and make a few more laps around the planet," Ham answered.
The spaceship carries a small laboratory and docking compartment that will be attached to the Russian side of the space station, a US$100 billion project of 16 nations nearing completion after more than a decade of construction.
The Mini Research Module is nicknamed "Rassvet" - Russian for dawn - and shares Atlantis's payload bay with a cargo carrier loaded with batteries, a spare communications antenna and an attachment for the station's Canadian-built robotic crane.
NASA wants to stock the station with as many spare parts as possible before turning over cargo resupply to smaller and less capable ships run by Russia, Europe and Japan.
To help get the station ready for operations after the shuttles are retired, the Atlantis astronauts plan to swap out six 166-kilogram solar array batteries on the station's main power truss, a task that will take the better part of two space walks.
Another space walk is to be devoted to installing a second communications antenna.
After Atlantis returns, NASA plans just two more trips to the space station with its shuttles.
Discovery is targeted for launch in September with spare parts and equipment. Endeavour is due to launch in November carrying a US$2 billion, multinational particle detector known as the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer.
Atlantis is flying its 32nd mission since it was put into service in 1985 and has one final assignment: to remain on standby in case the last shuttle crew needs a rescue.
The launch was the last scheduled for Atlantis, and the third-to-last for the shuttle program. NASA is retiring the shuttle fleet, which began flying in 1981, due to cost and safety issues.
Atlantis is headed toward an orbital rendezvous with the space station 350 kilometers above Earth. Docking is scheduled for today.
"We wish you good luck, God speed and have a little fun up there," NASA Launch Director Mike Leinbach told Atlantis Commander Ken Ham.
"If you don't mind, we will take her out of the barn and make a few more laps around the planet," Ham answered.
The spaceship carries a small laboratory and docking compartment that will be attached to the Russian side of the space station, a US$100 billion project of 16 nations nearing completion after more than a decade of construction.
The Mini Research Module is nicknamed "Rassvet" - Russian for dawn - and shares Atlantis's payload bay with a cargo carrier loaded with batteries, a spare communications antenna and an attachment for the station's Canadian-built robotic crane.
NASA wants to stock the station with as many spare parts as possible before turning over cargo resupply to smaller and less capable ships run by Russia, Europe and Japan.
To help get the station ready for operations after the shuttles are retired, the Atlantis astronauts plan to swap out six 166-kilogram solar array batteries on the station's main power truss, a task that will take the better part of two space walks.
Another space walk is to be devoted to installing a second communications antenna.
After Atlantis returns, NASA plans just two more trips to the space station with its shuttles.
Discovery is targeted for launch in September with spare parts and equipment. Endeavour is due to launch in November carrying a US$2 billion, multinational particle detector known as the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer.
Atlantis is flying its 32nd mission since it was put into service in 1985 and has one final assignment: to remain on standby in case the last shuttle crew needs a rescue.
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