After delays of several months, the shuttle Atlantis will be launched for flight STS-117 on June 8 at 19:38 EST - 02:38 am on June 9 Israel time
In the picture: the reflection of the shuttle Atlantis on the launch pad 39A in the waters of the Banana River outside the Kennedy Space Center in Florida
Following flight readiness meetings that took place on May 30 and 31 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, senior NASA officials confirmed that preparations for the launch were to continue and that the shuttle itself and its crew were ready for launch.
During the weekend, the engineers increased the air pressure in the shuttle's engines, in the orbit maneuvering system. The shuttle tests and the launch preparation process are being carried out as planned, and the crew members are also preparing for the launch scheduled for June 8. Rick Strukow will command the mission, along with pilot Lee Archambault and astronauts James Reilly, Steven Swanson, John Olivas and Clayton Anderson. The latter is supposed to replace American astronaut Sunita Williams and join the crew of the space station.
The Atlantis crew members will upgrade the station's propulsion system, uploading new batteries and a pair of new solar collectors. The mission is the 21st in number to the International Space Station. The launch date is June 8 at 19:38 p.m. Eastern Time - 02:38 a.m. on Saturday, June 9, Israel time.
One response
Come on finally! I've been waiting for this for a long time, good luck.