starrygaze
Active Member
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2005
- Messages
- 2,328
- Reaction score
- 3
I search here and make sure no repost? It blasted to the orbit success Today!
Shuttle Atlantis blasts off after weeks of delays
Updated Sat. Sep. 9 2006 12:01 PM ET
CTV.ca News
Space shuttle Atlantis finally blasted off this morning on a mission to the International Space Station after weeks of frustrating delays from weather and technical problems.
The six-astronaut crew, including Canadian Steve MacLean, lifted off at 11:15 a.m. ET from its seaside launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.,
On the ground, NASA officials kept close watch on images from cameras zoomed in on the shuttle. They were looking for any signs of hard foam breaking off its external fuel tank -- the problem that doomed shuttle Columbia -- as it streaked into space.
NASA declared the crew safe after a preliminary review showed no signs of major foam loss before Atlantis separated from its external fuel tank.
NASA spokesman Kyle Herring said fuel cells that had forced launch delays earlier this week were working as expected.
Officials gave the go-ahead early in the day to fuel up Atlantis and get it ready for launch after there were no signs of problems from a fuel sensor that had also been acting up.
The primary goal of the mission is to install a $372-million US solar power module on the $100-billion space station.
Ahead of liftoff, flashing a broad grin and giving a double thumbs up, MacLean, 51, boarded the shuttle as the clock counted down.
NASA engineers overnight drained and re-filled Atlantis' external fuel tanks without the sensor exhibiting any problems.
This was the last chance in weeks for Atlantis to lift into space because a Russian Soyuz capsule is slated for liftoff September 18 on a flight to the ISS. If Saturday's window has passed, the launch would have had to wait until October.
Shuttle Atlantis blasts off after weeks of delays
Updated Sat. Sep. 9 2006 12:01 PM ET
CTV.ca News
Space shuttle Atlantis finally blasted off this morning on a mission to the International Space Station after weeks of frustrating delays from weather and technical problems.
The six-astronaut crew, including Canadian Steve MacLean, lifted off at 11:15 a.m. ET from its seaside launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.,
On the ground, NASA officials kept close watch on images from cameras zoomed in on the shuttle. They were looking for any signs of hard foam breaking off its external fuel tank -- the problem that doomed shuttle Columbia -- as it streaked into space.
NASA declared the crew safe after a preliminary review showed no signs of major foam loss before Atlantis separated from its external fuel tank.
NASA spokesman Kyle Herring said fuel cells that had forced launch delays earlier this week were working as expected.
Officials gave the go-ahead early in the day to fuel up Atlantis and get it ready for launch after there were no signs of problems from a fuel sensor that had also been acting up.
The primary goal of the mission is to install a $372-million US solar power module on the $100-billion space station.
Ahead of liftoff, flashing a broad grin and giving a double thumbs up, MacLean, 51, boarded the shuttle as the clock counted down.
NASA engineers overnight drained and re-filled Atlantis' external fuel tanks without the sensor exhibiting any problems.
This was the last chance in weeks for Atlantis to lift into space because a Russian Soyuz capsule is slated for liftoff September 18 on a flight to the ISS. If Saturday's window has passed, the launch would have had to wait until October.
