The Atlantis astronauts are gearing up for a high-flying arrival at the International Space Station, the last one planned for NASA's fourth orbiter before shuttle fleet retirement.Trailing the International Space Station by about 218 miles and about 70 miles below it, Atlantis mission commander Ken Ham just fired the shuttle's twin maneuvering system engines, significantly boosting the altitude of the orbiter. The 132 foot-per-second burn propelled the shuttle from an orbit with high and low points of 145 and 127 miles to one with an apogee of 212 miles and a perigee of 145 miles. The station is flying in a circular orbit 220 miles above Earth.
The one-minute, 24-second dual engine firing was the latest of a series of burns that have gradually increased the altitude of Atlantis since it arrived in its initial orbit after launch Friday from Kennedy Space Center. The 2:20 p.m. Friday launch was precisely timed to put Atlantis on course for a ground-up rendezvous with the station.
Both the right and left Orbital Maneuvering System engines were ignited in the latest burn. The engines are housed in the hump-like pods that straddle the orbiter's vertical stabilizer.
The stair-step approach to the outpost will culminate with a 10:27 a.m. docking at the station. The Terminal Initiation burn, which initiates the final stages of rendezvous, is scheduled to take place at 7:40 a.m.
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