Atlantis Took Astronauts To The Space

Shuttle Atlantis successfully launched on Friday at 7:38 p.m. Eastern time to continue the building of International Space Station. Its flame brightened clear evening sky and left dense columns of smoke.

The mission was delayed for three months after a hailstorm damaged the shuttle's external fuel tank. But NASA specialists successfully solved the problem. Specialists announced that the tank is in a perfect fit and is ready for the shuttle's launch.

There was also a last minute delay because of weather. National Aeronautics and Space Administration was intending to cancel the shuttle launch because bad weather in Spain and France where emergency landing sites are located. These sites, called Transatlantic Abort Landing sites, are being used in cases of unexpected problems, when a shuttle needs to return to the Earth before reaching the orbit.

But 40 minutes before shuttle launch the weather cleared in France and Atlantis took the crew to the space.

The main mission of Atlantis' 11-day flight is to continue the building of $100 billion International Space Station. The shuttle is taking a 17.5-ton truss, which is to provide with power the new solar arrays.

Atlantis' astronauts need to attach the truss to an existing mechanism of solar arrays, remove bolts that are holding a rotating joint. The joint will then allow solar arrays to rotate as the Sun moves. Also the old solar arrows will be replaced with the new ones.

Shuttle's crew has four recruits and one astronaut, who has been participated in older missions of International Space Station building.

There are three mission specialists in the shuttle's crew: Clayton Anderson, 48-year old, of Ashland, Nebraska, who has joined NASA in 1983 and participated in planning previous shuttle missions, but has never been in space, Patrick Forrester, 50-year old, of El Paso, Texas, who joined NASA in 1993 as an aerospace engineer and was on one shuttle mission in 2001, John "Danny" Olivas, of El Paso, Texas, who joined NASA in 1998 and is making his first spaceflight.

Lead spacewalker of the mission is James Reilly, 53-year old, of Mesquite, Texas, who joined NASA as an astronaut in 1994. He has been aboard two shuttle missions and made three prior spacewalks.

Shuttle Pilot is Lee Archambault, 46-year old, of Bellwood, Illinois, who joined the U.S. space agency in 1998 and is also new to spaceflight and is one of robot arm operators.

Shuttle Commander is Frederick "Rick" Sturckow, 46-year old, of Lakeside, California, who joined NASA as an astronaut in 1994. He has been on participated in two flights to the space as a pilot.

Shuttle Flight engineer is Steven Swanson, 46-year old, of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, who became an astronaut in 1998 and is new to spaceflight.

So the shuttle Atlantis launched and took the crew to the space. After the launch Rick Sturckow said, "See you in a couple weeks". For HULIQ.COM

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