The external tank and solid rocket booster stack were mated in mid-October.
While Discovery's astronauts prepare for a crucial spacewalk Saturday to repair a torn solar array, shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to begin rolling over to the Vehicle Assembly Building at 6 a.m. Saturday at Kennedy Space Center.
The external tank and solid rocket boosters for Atlantis' December mission, STS-122, were mated in mid-October.
In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 1, Atlantis has been placed on the orbiter transporter in preparation for rollover to the VAB. The transfer is planned to begin at 7 a.m., according NASA spokesman George Diller.
Attaching Atlantis to the external tank/solid rocket booster stack will start as soon as the orbiter is in the VAB by attaching the lifting sling. Tests to verify that the shuttle elements work will begin Nov. 7. Rollout from the VAB to Launch Pad 39A is scheduled for 4 a.m. Nov. 10.
Atlantis must be ready for the next mission in just more than a month. The 24th shuttle mission to the ISS, STS-122 will carry the Columbus module to the space station, where it will be attached to the newly installed Harmony module.
Some key dates in the Atlantis flight schedule:
Discovery's seven astronauts have installed the Harmony module and performed other tasks at the space station on a historic mission with five spacewalks. The 2,600-cubic-foot module increased the ISS's size by 18 percent.
Commanding Atlantis in December will be Navy Cmdr. Stephen N. Frick. The pilot will be Navy Cmdr. Alan G. Poindexter. Mission specialists include Air Force Col. Rex J. Walheim, Stanley G. Love, Leland D. Melvin and European Space Agency astronaut Hans Schlegel. Poindexter, Love and Melvin will be making their first spaceflight.
Expedition 16 flight engineer Daniel Tani, who flew to the space station on the STS-120 mission, will return home with the STS-122 crew. STS-122 will deliver European Space Agency astronaut Léopold Eyharts to the ISS.
No comments:
Post a Comment