News / Science & Technology
NASA Eyeing Friday Launch for Space Shuttle Atlantis
NASA began their countdown for their first shuttle launch of the year on Tuesday evening with hopes of sending the seven member crew of space shuttle Atlantis on their 11-day mission starting Friday.
NASA engineers found no major technical problems and reports have indicated that the weather would be favorable for a 7:38 p.m. EDT launch on Friday from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The mission of the crew is to deliver a third pair of solar wings to the International Space Station which is currently inhabited by three astronauts. The solar wings aid in powering the station. They crew will also take part in three spacewalks to continue construction on the joint research facility.
Originally slated for launch in March, Atlantis was grounded due to a hail storm that damaged the external tank.
The International Space Station is a joint venture between five space agencies: the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA, United States), the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos, Russian Federation), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA, Japan), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA, Canada) and the European Space Agency (ESA, Europe).
