A segment of shuttle Atlantis' righthand solid rocket booster was hoisted in the Kennedy Space Center Vehicle Assembly Building late Monday as NASA continued preparations for a planned Aug. 28 launch.
Crane operators lifted the right aft center segment of the 149-foot tall booster up and over a transom on the 16th floor of VAB. Then it was lowered down toward a mobile launcher platform in high bay 3.
The segment will be mated with the right aft booster assembly of the solid-fueled rocket, which was placed onto the launcher platform last week.
The build-up of the shuttle's twin rocket boosters will continue over the coming week. An external tank will be fitted between the boosters before the orbiter Atlantis is added to the stack on July 25. The fully assembled shuttle is scheduled to roll out to Launch Complex 39B on Aug. 1.
Image note: Click to enlarge this NASA image captured from a live feed in the Kennedy Space Center Vehicle Assembly Building.
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